


The Doppelgänger

by Miraculousredfox



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, I lied. Its all fluff. Im sorry. It was supposed to be angst. Oops, adrien is oblivious, marinettes insecurity causes problems, they swear a little but its still pretty PG. maybe PG13.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 04:43:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 40,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7877005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraculousredfox/pseuds/Miraculousredfox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrien is Chat Noir.  Chat Noir is Adrien.  Just as Marinette is starting to accept this fact, and see the two as one, someone new appears on the scene.  Someone who looks, sounds, and acts like Ladybug might, ouside of her mask.  But she’s not.  Can Marinette convince Adrien this new girl isn’t his Lady, without revealing who she is?  Can their friendship survive Adrien’s determination to find Ladybug, and Marinette’s jealousy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Breaking Down Walls

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic! Also being posted on my tumblr blog, find me @ miraculoustrashblogger.tumblr.com
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Friday Morning  


Tikki awoke to the sound of Marinette humming to herself. She floated up from her pillow, and saw her chosen prancing around the room, freshly showered and dressed, gathering books and papers and placing them in her backpack. Tikki glanced at the clock.  


_7:30am! Marinette is never up this early! It usually takes 5 alarms to wake her! Something must be up. ___  


Tikki started following the girl around the room.  


“Good morning Marinette! Is something special happening today? You seem very happy!”  


“Oh, good morning sleepyhead! Nope, nothing special is happening! I woke up really early this morning, my skin is really clear today, my hair looks great, and I just feel like today is going to be a great day. I feel good, I look good, and I’m ready to take on the world! I don’t even think Chloe Bourgeois could bring me down today!” She beamed at her kwami, giggling.  


“Maybe today will be a lucky day for you!” Tikki chirped. She nodded in agreement.  


Marinette gathered the rest of her things, and headed downstairs. Tikki flew into her purse. Marinette greeted her mother and as she sat down for breakfast, she snuck some cookies to her kwami. She got to have a nice relaxing breakfast for once, and left for school, waving goodbye to her parents.  


Alya flagged her down as soon as she got there, and the two girls chatted on the front steps while they waited for school to begin. Alya had the latest news regarding the Ladyblog. Marinette payed attention, because for once, the news didn’t involve her- it was about Chat Noir being spotted on patrol. The previous night had not been her night to patrol, so she wondered if Chat had run into any problems.  


Apparently there wasn’t any trouble, he just got spotted and signed some autographs for some kids before sunset. Marinette was a little relieved to know her kitty didn’t have any issues without her. Not that he needed her help, but just that he wasn’t in danger while she did her homework and slept. She may turn down his flirting, but she does care about him a lot.  


It wasn’t long before a long silver limo pulled up in front of the school, and Nino came busting through the doors behind them to come and greet the passenger.  


“Marinette!” Alya whispered, “Adrien’s here, we should go say hi before Chloe shows up!”  


Marinette froze, eyes glued to the spot where Adrien was climbing out of the car. _I do want to go and say hi to him, but I’ll probably just stutter and say something stupid. Maybe I can let Alya do the talking? She’s good at that. But what if he asks how I’m doing? I won’t be able to answer without looking like a fool! Maybe I’ll avoid him this morning, I’m having such a great morning, I don’t need to spoil it with feeling like an idiot. But if I do that, he won’t see how cute I look today, he won’t think to ask me on a date, and we won’t get married and have 3 beautiful babies! Nghhhhh…. Okay! I’ll do it! I won’t be a fool or do anything stupid! I’m going to say hello like a normal person would! I won’t let my good day be ruined by my inability to talk to his gorgeous face! I can do it!_  
She stood up tall and proud, sucked in a deep breath and walked straight to Adrien, Alya following behind, smiling. The boys saw them coming, and turned, smiling.  


_Oh gosh his smile is so nice. Keep calm girl. Smile, say good morning, ask him how he’s doing. Maybe joke about the homework from last night. Keep it casual, don’t fumble this! You are Ladybug, you defend Paris from villains weekly, you kick ass and take names! You are a hero and you can say hello to your classmate without stuttering!_  


“Good morning Marinette, Alya!” Adrien beamed, his model smile making Marinettes heart skip.  


“G-goo-good m-mo–” _Great, I can’t even get through a simple greeting. _She stopped herself, closed her eyes, took a deep, steady breath, and opened her eyes.__

“Good morning, Adrien, how are you?” She managed. _Oh my gosh, I did it! A full sentence, no stuttering, to his face!_ She felt a nudge from inside her purse, Tikki was showing her support.  


Happily surprised, Adrien smiled, this time more genuinely. “I’m doing fine, thanks for asking! I am a little tired, I stayed up late finishing my homework. Hopefully I won’t fall asleep in class!” He laughed.  


She giggled a little, she was more than guilty of her share of in-class naps. Being a superhero can be exhausting. “If I see you snoozing in front of me, maybe I’ll nudge your chair with my foot to wake you up!” She teased.  


He laughed. “I’d appreciate the help. Nino has banned me from coffee and energy drinks, so I’m going to have to get by with the little sleep I did get.”  


Marinette’s brow raised at that, but before she could ask, Nino cut in. “Trust me Mari, I’ve seen this kid on caffeine, and it is not a pretty sight. I’m saving our entire class with this ban.”  


“Oh come on Nino, I wasn’t that bad!”  


“Dude, never again. Not while I have to be your designated babysitter at least.”  


“So what you’re telling me Nino, is Adrien is super sensitive to coffee, and I should totally not slip him an espresso and record the whole thing for future blackmail purposes?” Alya asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.  


“Alya, stop right there. Please. You will probably scar a lot of people, permanently. Don’t do it girl, I’m begging you.” His plea did little to quench the curiosity and excitement building in her eyes.  


At that moment, the bell rang, and as they headed to class, Nino instructed Adrien not to accept drinks he didn’t see made first hand. Alya cackled. Marinette probably should have considered reigning in Alya and her antics, but was a little preoccupied with the swelling pride she felt. She had had a full conversation with her crush, without stuttering or making a fool of herself terribly, and was surging with confidence.  


As they settled in their seats, Alya saw the glimmer of confidence, and decided to fan the flames. “I’m so proud of you girl, you did it, you held a conversation with him! You didn’t stumble either! Is today the day you finally ask him out?”  


Marinette thought about it. Could she ask him out? What kind of date would she like? Maybe go to the movies with him? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea! She can get used to his presence while the movies on, and it would provide some conversation topics too! A movie date with Adrien! She already had one successful conversation, she could do another! She wouldn’t let nervousness stop her this time!  


“Yes, Alya. I think today is the day!” She beamed at her best friend.  


The teacher walked into the classroom, and conversations died down. Class began, and Marinette glanced occasionally at the seat in front of her, watching for any sign of him falling asleep.  


Madame Bustier assigned group projects that day, and Marinette was presented with the opportunity to see more of Adrien. The two were paired together, causing some glaring from the next row over. Apparently a certain blonde girl was not happy with this scenario.  


The assignment was to pick something that was “Iconically French”, learn the history of it, and present it to the class. It could be architecture, art, or monuments, or anything so long as it was reminiscent of their country. The students were left to begin discussing their plans and meeting times to do the work, and Marinette planned to take full advantage of it.  


“Hey, Adrien, do you have plans at lunch? We could work in the library today, i-if you aren’t busy, that is.” She cursed herself for the small stutter, but plowed on, “My mom packed me with more food than I could possibly eat in a day, and I’d be happy to share.”  


Due to his life as a model, his diet was strictly controlled. His indulgences in food were far and few between. His extreme workouts as Chat Noir often left him hungry, so he never turned down food that was presented to him. He fondly remembers the assortments of foods the Dupain-Cheng’s had offered when he and Marinette had prepared for the gaming tournament. So he was hard pressed to turn down the offer.  


“That sounds like a fantastic idea, we can get a head start on the work. I don’t want to deprive you of your lunch though. I can call Natalie and let her know, and she can bring me something.”  


Marinette giggled. “Oh no, you wouldn’t be depriving me! My mom expects Alya and Nino to steal from my lunch at this point. So she always packs me tons of extras.” At that, Nino shrugged and mumbled to himself. Adrien thinks he heard the word “tasty” in there somewhere. Alya whistled innocently and looked away, before breaking out into a grin.  


“Okay, it’s settled then. Lunch at the library! I’ll just have to call the Gorilla and let him know I’m not coming home for lunch.”  


The rest of morning classes passed in a blur before they were let go for lunch. Adrien managed to stay awake, now with the promise of baked goods on his horizon. With the bell releasing them, Adrien and Marinette meandered to the library, Alya grabbing Nino and saying her mom had prepared them lunch, and would see them after. Adrien shrugged and waved, and noted that Marinette blushed for some reason, and was back to being a little nervous around him again. Just when he thought that had finally passed, too.  


They settled into the library, and as Marinette pulled out her food, they began debating ideas. They scratched the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame cathedral off the list. “Too obvious” they cited, agreeing that most of the class would try to pick those. The considered the Arc de Triomphe, but decided it fell in the same category as the first two.  


As Adrien picked up a croissant and raised it to his lips, he suddenly stood straight up- almost knocking over a chair in the process- and shouted. “That’s it! Marinette! Food! There are so many iconic food items, and we can even make food to share with the class!” He blushed as several shushes came from various corners of the library, but the excitement didn’t leave his eyes.  


Slightly startled, she thought about it and agreed. “It’s a great idea Adrien! We should pick some baked goods, I bet my dad knows a whole bunch of the history already, and he can definitely help us make some too. The class will love it! We could do baguettes, croissants, macarons, éclairs, crème brulée…there is a lot we can choose from.” Excitedly, the two sat and ate and discussed their options. They compared schedules and found a time where he could come over to her house to work on the project, and another day to make the food for class, when the bakery wouldn’t be busy. Lunch break ticked away, and her heart gained momentum and her blush grew deeper in anticipation, knowing what she planned on doing.  


She was determined, however, and would ask him on a date even if she had a heart attack at the same time.  


In her nervousness and Adrien’s mild concern for her growing blush, and their discussing the project, both managed to miss the massive number of texts and calls coming into their phones.  


Finally, lunch was nearing an end. Marinette sucked in a breath, summoned her courage, and put a hand on her purse for support from Tikki.  


“Adrien, I-I was wondering, you know, after this project is done, would y-you like to celebrate? Like you know, go to a–”  


Suddenly, her sentence was interrupted by screams in the hallways.  


Both jumped. They looked at the door, then at each other, and quickly scrambled to look at their phones. They both had updates sent to their phone from the Ladyblog. They saw simultaneously the texts and calls from Nino and Alya.  


_Akuma! Headed towards the school! Get out! Hide! No sign of LB or CN yet! We got trapped by him!_  


Before either could say anything to one another, the doors of the library burst open, and angry cackling was heard. Everyone in the library scattered for the other exits, running. Marinette and Adrien, acting on instinct, grabbed each others hands and pulled towards the doors. Unfortunately for them, they pulled towards different doors, and ended up falling backwards into each other. Sitting on the floor, momentarily stunned, the akuma made his presence known.  


His outfit resembles a cross between a clown and a carpenter, billowy sleeves in bright colours, an apron and tool belt, rosy cheeks and painted lips, and wild hair, covered with a train conductors striped hat.  


“Ungrateful children! I make toys and doll houses for the brats, they don’t say thank you, they break them in days, and then demand them fixed! They ask for the impossible, they ask for flying cars, for dolls that walk on their own! They have no grasp of the artistry that goes into each toy, the effort, the detail! The hours upon hours spent toiling to make each and every doll house unique and functional, and beautiful! They just complain when their dolls don’t fit! Brats! Every one of them! No more! I am the Toy Master, and I will not tolerate my work being unappreciated any longer!”  


The pair sense an attack coming and scramble for cover, but they’re too slow. The Toy Master pulls out a paintbrush from the tool belt, and waves it around like a magic wand. A detailed and elegant doll house begins to materialize around the pair, trapping them inside.  


The two are left cramped inside a slightly-smaller-than-life-size house. Adrien is forced to crouch just a little, the ceiling too low for him to stand properly.  


“Marinette, are you okay?” He asks,  


“Yeah, a little stunned, but not hurt. Are you okay?”  


“I’m fine. There’s gotta be a way out of here, try the doors and windows!”  


The two dash for anything resembling an opening, but find it all solid and unbreakable, despite their best efforts. _Well, he certainly is a talented builder._ Adrien thinks to himself. He gives up on a window, and turns to see Marinette throwing powerful, repetitive kicks at a door.  


“Hey, hey Mari, it’s okay, it doesn’t seem like its going to budge. Hopefully Ladybug is hot on his tail, and will get us out of here soon.”  


Marinette cringed internally. “Or maybe Chat Noir will come along. Cataclysm would probably do the trick.”  


It was Adrien’s turn to cringe. He worried that if the Toy Master was going after young people and kids, he may have already gotten Ladybug. He needed to get out of here and find her.  


He had everything he needed to break them out, but it would mean Marinette knowing his secret. He tried the door himself, giving the door as hard a kick as he could manage, making his companion jump. It didn’t budge though. Could he count on Ladybug to fight the akuma without getting trapped on her own? She would have a harder time breaking out than he would. If she got stuck in a doll house with someone else, she would be even more reluctant to reveal herself in order to get out. He trusted Marinette though, he had seen her in action, she was brave and cool in a crisis. She also wasn’t a gossip like Alya or manipulative like Chloe. He made his decision.  


_Guess there’s no helping it. Ladybug’s going to skin me alive for this._  


He took a deep breath and turned to her. “Marinette, I need you to keep a secret. You can’t tell anyone, because it could put a lot of people in danger, including you. Can you promise you won’t tell, no matter what?”  


Marinette’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Well, I mean, I’m pretty good at keeping secrets, but what on earth are you going on about? This isn’t the time for secret telling, it’s time to find a way out of here!”  


“Just promise.”  


“O-okay? I promise I won’t tell a soul.”  


He breathed in.  


_“Plagg, claws out!”_  


Marinette shielded her eyes from the flash of green light. Realization slowly dawned on her as to what was happening. _No. No way. Not possible._ But despite her denials, it was true. When the flash faded, she saw Chat Noir, standing where Adrien had been seconds ago.  


“Cataclysm!” he called, and while Marinette was still trying to catch up with his revelation, he broke through the walls of the doll house, releasing them from their prison. He turned to grab Marinette and found her staring into space. He grabbed her shoulder, but she didn’t respond.  


“Marinette” he said, exasperated, “I don’t have time to sit here and guide you through this. Paris needs me. Snap out of it. I need you to get yourself to safety so I don’t have to worry about you. My Lady is probably waiting for me. We can talk about this later, but I need you to get out of here. Understood?”  


Hearing him say “My Lady” snapped her out of it. _Right. I have a job to do. We can deal with this later. For now I need to go transform. Deal with this akuma and sort this mess out after._  


She looked at him, and nodded. “Ad—Chat Noir, be safe, and go get that akuma. I’m going to find a place to hide. I’ll keep my eyes on the Ladyblog and only come out once Alya reports it’s over. I’ve got questions for you, but they can wait.” She felt bad for lying through her teeth, but they both had places to be and she needed him to trust she would be safe. “Come by the bakery tonight and we can talk then. Okay?”  


“Sounds like a plan. Go!”  


He took off out one exit. She peeked out another exit, and ran out of the library when the coast looked clear. There were several dollhouses around the school, muffled yells coming from most. She worried about her classmates, but realized that purifying the akuma would be the fastest way to break them all out. She exited the school and dove into a narrow alleyway. She found a nook, and watching that Chat Noir wasn’t hopping overhead at that moment, opened her purse.  


Tikki flew out with a determined look on her face.  


“Tikki, Spots on!” She cried, and the familiar pink light gave her the confidence and assurity that she could put off the Adrien/Chat ordeal until later. Suited up, she swung up to the roof, and watched for signs of the akuma.


	2. If You Feed a Stray Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette and Adrien sort a few things out. Minor angst.

**Friday Evening**

The akuma battle had gone relatively swiftly, once she had suited up. Shortly after finding the akuma, she got a call on her yo-yo from Chat, asking where the akuma was, and if she was on the scene. He apologized for being late. He got trapped and would need to talk to her later about something. _Gee, I wonder what that could be…_ She rolled her eyes. She scoped the akuma while she waited for him. She assumed the akuma was in the tool belt, and she was right. Once he arrived, he distracted the Toy Maker, she swooped in with her lucky charm (A big pair of safety scissors), cut the belt behind his back, and it ended without any major hiccups after that. The same old, same old. She said goodbye to her partner after cleansing the city, and headed back to the school. She could “come out of hiding” and walk home from there. Just in case Adrien decided to check on her on the way. 

Her parents stopped her for a hug on her way in, checked her for bumps and bruises and she reassured them she was fine. She told them she got stuck in a dollhouse with Adrien for the entire battle, and was left unharmed. She told them she was tired, and retreated to her room with dinner and a few cookies. 

“What a day that was! Here Tikki, you worked hard today, I’ve got your favourite cookies! Come get them!” 

She flopped onto her chaise and reviewed the events of the day. Just as she was about to ask Adrien out, she finds out her mild-mannered, sweet, shy crush is also her punning, ridiculous, flirty, obnoxious superhero partner. 

She starts comparing the two. The only traits she seems to find in common is their looks, and even that is a stretch. Blond hair, green eyes, lean muscular physique. Adrien’s hair is shorter and less wild, his sclera white rather than Chat’s green ones. Their personalities are totally different. She starts comparing her interactions with both, and she begins to panic as she tries to picture Adrien in Chat’s place and Chat in Adrien’s. A blush started creeping up her face. 

“Oh my gosh Tikki, I almost asked Chat Noir out on a date today!” 

“Yes you did, Marinette.” 

Marinette glanced around the room. Her eyes widened as she took in the room. 

“Tikki, I have an unmasked Chat Noir pinned to my walls!” 

“Yes you do Marinette.” (It is to be noted, that Marinette was 90% non-functioning at this point in time. She barely registered that Tikki was zipping to-and-fro across the room repeatedly, let alone what she was doing.) 

“Tikki, Adrien flirts with me on a regular basis and I TURNED HIM DOWN EVERY TIME!” 

“Yep, you do that too.” She hummed. 

There was a pause for a moment before a screech ripped across the room. 

“OH MY GOSH TIKKI I KISSED ADRIEN ON VALENTINES DAY! NOT JUST ANY KISS, BUT TRUE LOVES KISS! WHAT THE ACTUAL LIVING HELL!” 

Tikki giggled. “I was wondering when you would realize that one.” (Now Tikki was at the computer, shoving the mouse around.) 

As the reality of the situation began collapsing in on her, she simultaneously wanted to cry, laugh, and die. Shock, confusion, joy, embarrassment, and an deep blush swept across her face. If Tikki wasn’t concerned for her charge’s sanity, she would be laughing at it all. 

_Seeing our chosen wielders discover each other is always entertaining. I just hope it doesn’t strain their relationship for too long._

Her train of thoughts was interrupted by a knock on the skylight. Tikki dove for cover, taking a cookie with her. 

Marinette’s emotional breakdown was paused momentarily as she climbed, half-aware, to her bed and balcony. She opened the hatch to green eyes and a mess of golden locks– locks she spent every school day staring at, she realized– gestured at him to come in, and sat on her bed, curled in a ball. 

Chat Noir climbed down into the room, and sat cross legged, facing her. He looked nervous. 

“Hey there Prin– Marinette. I uh, hope you got home okay? The akuma didn’t bother you again did he?” 

She took a moment to respond. “N-no. He left me alone. I’m fine.” 

There was an awkward pause. Marinette’s brain was still mostly non-functional. Chat was feeling rather awkward. He wished he had read more superhero comics, then he might know how to deal with this. 

“Di-did you have any questions for me? Being who I am and all?” 

“Yeah, I do… I just… I can’t remember them. I think I’m in shock a little.” 

“Oh, yeah! No, that’s okay! Do you want me to grab you a blanket, or maybe I can–” 

“No, no, it’s okay, just give me a minute. Lets.. go sit on my chaise, over there. It’ll be more comfortable for us than my bed here.” It was at this point that Adrien recognized that he was still sitting on her bed, after dropping down from the skylight. It was a little more intimate a place than he realized. He blushed, and moved himself quickly over to the chaise. 

Marinette watched him move, and had a moments panic. _Ah crap! Adrien’s in my room and I forgot to take down all my pictures of him! He is going to think I’m such a stalker! Crap crap crap crap! I need a distracti–oh._ As she scanned her room for the first ones he would spot, she realized all the pictures were NOT, in fact, on her walls. She glanced over to her computer screen, the background now one of the photos from their impromptu photo shoot after Picture Day. 

She breathed a sigh in relief. _Tikki. Remind me to kiss you later, you brilliant little life-saver! I’m going to have to make some extra special cookies for her._ “

So…” Adrien began. He was now perched on the edge of her chaise, his arm reaching to scratch the back of his neck. 

“How about... you tell me what happened after you left to catch the akuma? I haven’t looked at any news regarding it, so I don’t know what happened.” She lied. 

“Well, right off the bat, I had used cataclysm, so Plagg needed to be fed-” 

“Plagg?” She asked. She assumed Plagg was his kwami, but she was pretending to be a civilian so she had to feign ignorance. 

“Oh! Um… it will be easier to show rather than tell. I have to detransform, is that okay?” 

“Uh, sure I guess.” A flash of green light lit up the room, and there was Adrien, in all his awkwardly-adorable glory. A small black creature floated up from his ring. Marinette stared at the creature. It resembled a cat- much more than Tikki resembled a Ladybug, if she was being honest. _He’s kind of cute…_

“Hey, you’re that baker’s daughter! I saw you at school during Career day!” He flew right up to her face, she almost went cross-eyed trying to focus on him. “Do you got any cheese? I’m starved! This kid doesn’t know how to properly care for me, I’m malnourished! Ooh ooh! Bring me cheese bread! Or cheesecake! You must have some of that kicking around!” 

_Until he opens his mouth._ She mused. She wanted to giggle and groan at the same time. 

“Plagg, meet Marinette.” Adrien said, dragging him backwards by the tail. It earned him an indignant yowl. “You will call her by her name, not by “that bakers daughter”, and you will not rudely demand food of her. Marinette, this is Plagg. Marinette, please ignore Plagg’s demands for food, I give him 3 wheels of Camembert cheese a day, and he still whines. I smell like old socks 24/7 thanks to this pest, and all I get is demands for more cheese. Do not feel obliged to aid his descent into gluttony, I’ve got that more than covered.” Plagg gave him a glare, which Adrien returned right back. Finally Marinette, having decided on giggling over groaning, stands up, distracting the pair from their staring contest. 

“I’ll be right back. We do have some leftover baked goods downstairs. It can’t be sold, so it’s up to me and my parents to eat it anyways. I’m sure there’s something cheesy left still. Any preferences, Adrien?” 

“I won’t turn down anything from your parents bakery, except whatever Plagg gets. I’m afraid he has turned me off cheese for life.” He responded, the corners of his mouth curling upwards a bit. 

She laughed. “Alright. I’ll be quick. Make yourself comfy.” 

As soon as she left the room, he was anything but comfortable. Intensely awkward was more accurate. Here he was, out late, in a girls room, when her parents didn’t know he was there, his parental authorities had no clue he even left his room, and he was imposing on someone whom he wanted to consider a friend. Before his guilty blush spread too far down his neck, Marinette returned, bearing gifts. 

Plagg immediately dove in. He grabbed a slice of cheesecake and zipped off. Marinette hoped that if he found Tikki, he would keep his mouth shut. Adrien was hesitant in choosing, until Marinette basically shoved the plate in his face. He suspected by her deadpan expression and the croissant in her mouth, that she would tell him off for feeling awkward or guilty for his presence. She had invited him, after all. He stammered a thank you, and chose to nibble on some macarons. His hunger kicked in, and soon he had finished off a croissant and an eclair too. 

“So, you never did tell me how the battle went. We kind of got side-tracked.” 

“Oh, right! Well, it was actually kind of boring after I left. I fed Plagg and transformed again. Plagg joins with my ring and that gives me my powers. He is the battery, and the ring is the conduit. The battery needs to be charged to keep it running. By that point, Ladybug had appeared, so I found her and the akuma, and we took it down like we normally do. Nothing unusual about it.” He shrugged. 

Marinette rolled her eyes, and decided she needed to ham it up for him a little. She wanted to see whether Adrien or Chat was the act, or if both were. She needed to tempt Chat’s bravado and goofiness out, or she would be forced to conclude that Adrien was not, in fact, a massive dork. Time to channel Alya. 

“Nothing unusual. Nothing. Unusual. You are a freaking superhero, with superpowers, you run around in a leather suit with cat ears, take down magical villains on a regular basis, and none of that is unusual at all? Funny, because my first encounter with Chat, you were flexing and showing off for me constantly. Now that I know who you are under the mask, you act like it’s boring? Come on!” She prodded. _Come on, brag a little! Here, kitty kitty…._

He grimaced. “It’s not all fun and games though. It can be dangerous. We were lucky that time that Nathanäel was more interested in taking you on a date than hurting Chloe. Also that we were able to dodge The Gamer’s shots when Max was akumatized.” 

She decided she wasn’t trying hard enough yet. No way someone could spout puns like Chat and not spend all their spare time coming up with that material. _Do I need to whip out the catnip? Maybe a laser pointer. I do have yarn…_

“Alright fine, akumas are dangerous, Hawkmoth is evil, yadda yadda yadda. What’s your favourite part about being a superhero?” 

“Honestly?” 

“I expect the full truth, and nothing less.” 

“…Getting to see Ladybug and getting to help her. She’s amazing. So brave and passionate. I don’t think that girl is scared of anything. Crazy smart too, the way she figures out her lucky charms as quickly as she does, and the plans are always so flawless! She is graceful and strong. I love being her partner.” 

A range of emotions surrounded Marinette. Most of them not so pleasant. She was aware she felt like she didn’t match up to Ladybug. She was Ladybug, and yet Ladybug was an unattainable perfection in her mind. Everything she wanted to be, but couldn’t be in her civilian life. Even Adrien had her on a pedestal, and he worked with her! 

Fearless? No way. Marinette was scared of a lot of things. Scared of admitting who she really is, afraid of losing her friends, scared for the safety of her loved ones, afraid of Hawkmoth. She didn’t even like butterflies anymore, and grabbed a fly swatter when she saw one. Flawless? Her plans usually worked just by a hair, and usually because she was just lucky enough. Smart? She didn’t consider herself above average intellect. She was lousy in certain subjects, and could be downright oblivious some times. 'Marinette’ and ‘graceful’ didn’t belong in the same sentence, unless there was a negation in the middle. She trips on air regularly. Adrien had high praise for Ladybug, but she didn’t feel any of those qualities applied to plain ol’ Marinette. 

She tried to hide how much it bothered her by redirecting the conversation. 

“Being Ladybug’s partner? Of all the things to choose, it’s being her partner? Not the power to destroy things, not the ability to jump dozens of feet in one go, the freedom, the sights from up high, the strength? You go with being her partner?” Her bitterness leaked out in more venom than was necessary, and Adrien noticed. 

“What do you want me to say?” He retorted. “People look at Unlucky Chat Noir and steer their kids away from me. Or they stalk me for interviews and autographs, which I get enough of in my normal life. They look at me destroying things to defeat akuma and save their lives, and any gratefulness they might have had is replaced by fear of my powers. The views from the rooftops are great, but they’re better when shared with someone else, and I don’t have anyone to share them with but her! No, Adrien Agreste, the home-schooled kid who didn’t make any friends besides Chloe Bourgeois until he was 15, he couldn’t possibly be desperate for companionship, not when most people in his life use him for his looks or his fame.” 

Clearly she had struck a nerve. She had poked a hole in the levee and now it was leaking all over. “Even as Chat Noir he can’t escape the paparazzi, and every night he has to return to an empty house.” He continued. “Of course Ladybug, A.K.A. The only person who actually sees him as a person with feelings and isn’t trying to use him would be his favourite part.” His voice increased in volume as his tirade went on, “Apparently, having superpowers is just another reason for people to befriend Adrien! Don’t try to hide it, you couldn’t even hold a conversation with me without running off until today. I know you don’t like me much.” Marinette spluttered at this and was cut off. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have places to be, patrol to do, and photo shoots in the morning. Thanks for the snacks, sorry I wasted your time. Plagg? Lets go!” He stood up and turned his back to her, headed towards the balcony hatch. 

Marinette was stunned. Mister Flirty, Punny and Brave Chat Noir, and Mister Tall, Blond and Handsome Adrien–who Marinette still was struggling to fit together as one person–was just as insecure as she was. _I didn’t realize he was so lonely._ She suddenly felt guilty and ashamed for pushing him. 

“Wait, Adrien!” She stood up, and was going to reach to hold his hand, but she hesitated. 

“No, it’s fine. You aren’t the first person to be disappointed in me, and you won’t be the last. I’ll see you at school.” 

Just as he was about to call for Plagg to transform him, Marinette acted. She threw herself at him and hugged him tightly from behind, her arms wrapped around his waist. He jumped a little, startled by the contact. Most people avoided physical touch with him except his Lady. 

“Adrien, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I pushed you, I’m sorry I made you feel like I didn’t like you. I do like you.” _More than you know._ “As Adrien you have always been honest, supportive and kind to me. As Chat, you were funny and a show-off, but protective towards me. I’m not disappointed in you. I could never be. And I would never use you, you deserve so much more than to be treated like that.” She sighed. “I’m still trying to accept the fact that both sides of you are the same person. You act very differently in and out of your mask, and I’m still trying to come to terms with that. That’s my problem to deal with, and it’s no excuse for me hurting you. I am so sorry. I won’t make you stay if you don’t want to, but if you’ll give me a chance, I’d like to make it up to you. I’d like to get to know the real you, no masks. I want to be your friend.” She sighed again, and slowly let him go, her arms dropping to her sides. She quickly brushed away the tears forming, before he could turn around and see. 

He took a deep breath, and considered her words. _She said she wants to be my friend. She apologized, and it sounds genuine. She wants to know me, the real me. Not many people in my life can claim that._ He considered her words for a minute, reigning in his anger, and deciding he didn’t want to shut her out. He turned around to face her. She wasn’t looking at him, her eyes downcast, and he read the guilt and shame in her eyes. He understood at that moment how genuine her apology was. 

He hated seeing such sadness in her eyes. _Way to go, doofus. You took out your anger on her and she looks like she’s gonna cry. Fix it!_

“Meowch Marinette!” Placing his hand over his heart. “And here I thought we already were friends? You’re breaking this poor cat’s heart!” 

Her eyes flicked up to his face. She stared at his lopsided grin, the twinkle in his eyes dampened a little bit by the pain he was still feeling. She smiled softly. 

_There’s my silly kitty._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have made it my life mission that every chapter in this fic will have someone from the Dupain-Cheng household feeding my cat son. #feedadrien2k4evr
> 
> Next up: new friendships, trash-talking, and me, leading you all up to the tallest, fluffiest clouds from which to drop you into the pit of angst.
> 
> I'm such a nice person.


	3. The Cat Came Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I introduce an Original Character

**Saturday afternoon**

Shortly after the fight was over and apologies were made, Adrien left. He wasn’t lying about patrol, nor about photo shoots in the morning. He had places to be, and there wasn’t much else to talk about right at that time. He told her his Origin Story, (one that sounded eerily similar to her own), she asked a few more questions– like what his favourite spot in Paris was (Notre Dame’s tower rooftop. He confessed to singing a few songs from Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame while up there after patrol); and what living with Plagg was like (”ANNOYING.” he’d responded. He swears he heard a small tinkling laugh, but it wasn’t Plagg or Marinette, so he guessed he was hearing things)–before he made his exit through her balcony. 

Marinette took a long time to fall asleep Friday night. A lot had happened, and her brain refused to shut off. So instead of uselessly lying in bed, she decided to be productive until she fell asleep. She pulled out her knitting needles and yarn, and got to work. It was a repetitive and mind-numbing task- one that easily satisfied the need to fidget and pace, and allowed her to think through everything. 

Marinette came to some pretty hefty realizations as she knitted away. First and foremost, she concluded that yes, Adrien and Chat are the same person, and that it does make sense after all. Her initial confusions were over superficial details like his looks and his mannerisms. At the core, the two personas actually had quite a bit in common. 

Both were kind. They cared deeply about others, and were very supportive of them. He had shown her support, complimented her, and believed in her on multiple occasions as both versions of himself. During their first akuma and encounter with Hawkmoth, he motivated Ladybug when she was feeling like a failure. He gladly participated in the photo shoots for Juleka after she got akumatized, and was quite happy to help his classmate “break her curse”. He supported Marinette during his fathers fashion contest, during her run for class president, and he helped her understand her uncle during his cooking contest. While Chat Noir was always flirting, he always was aware of boundaries, too. He never intentionally made her uncomfortable. 

Both were patient. If she hadn’t seen him blow up last night, she would have wondered if he ever lost his patience. As Chat, he put up with every one of Ladybugs screw ups with little complaint. He would occasionally reprimand her when her behaviour was inappropriate, but it was always to help her be a better person. He never complained about taking the fall in akuma fights, in fact he seemed to prefer it. During the attack by Animan, instead of getting mad at her for jumping in the T-Rex’s mouth, he was just glad she was alive. As Adrien, he puts up with Chloe- enough said. 

Both were professional. They had jobs to do, and reputations to uphold, so they rarely caused trouble beyond minor mischief. Even the sense of humor he had as Chat would sneak out occasionally as Adrien, apparently. Nino had mentioned a few times that Adrien told horrible puns, but she never believed it. She guessed that Nino must have been one of only a small handful of people who got to see that side. Marinette had not previously been on that list. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how in need he was of true friends. His father loved him, but he was distant at best. Chloe was obsessed with him, but clearly didn’t know him all that well. Despite being friends for years, she didn’t recognize him as Chat Noir- in fact, she treated Chat Noir like crap. She scared off most potential friends intentionally, not realizing how lonely and in need of affection he was. Nino was one of his only true friends, Nino consistently had his back, and even got akumatized for trying to give him a great birthday. Ladybug was the person he trusted with his life, he was constantly throwing himself into danger for her, knowing that she would save his life. That part made Marinette sad, however. 

She realized that the one person Adrien trusted the most was someone who fought against knowing him– she had repeatedly turned down knowing each other’s identities. 

So she decided that even if him knowing she was Ladybug terrified the daylights out of her, she would be the best friend he deserved. She would support him like he had been supporting her all along. She would give him a place in her life where he felt appreciated for more than his fame or looks. 

Committing to the plan, she finished off her last row of stitches, her musings had fueled her through making an entire scarf. It was very similar to the one she had made for Adrien on his birthday. This one was longer and narrower than his, though. She snipped the threads and tucked it away, finally yawning as she headed to bed. Her morning had gone as usual, though she slept in later to make up for her late night. At noon, she went down for breakfast (lunch). As she sat at the kitchen table eating some soup her mother had prepared, there was a knock at the door. Sabine went to answer the door, and Marinette saw a look of pleasant surprise on her face. 

“Oh hello, Adrien dear! Come on in, it’s good to see you! You look well! Marinette and I just sitting down to eat, would you like to have some soup with us?” 

“Oh, no! Is it really lunch time? I could have sworn it was later than that! I wouldn’t want to intrude! I can come back in an hour if that’s more convenient?” She heard him say. 

“Nonsense! I made lots, and we are always glad for the company.” Marinette heard his stomach rumble, and Sabine crossed her arms. “Really, come in, dear. I insist. No starving children allowed at my front door, they all must be fed.” Sabine was giving her stubborn Doting Mother Face™, and Marinette tried to stifle her giggle. There was no winning against that face. Adrien made his appearance, at last, peeking his head around the corner first, blushing as he spotted Marinette, before stepping in the house and shutting the door behind him. She grinned, and patted the seat of the chair beside her. All that had occurred last night seemed to chase off at least most of the butterflies in her stomach, she was moderately embarrassed to see him, but she wrote that off as his visit being a surprise. 

He sat down next to Marinette, and Sabine sat across from them. Sabine served him some soup and made small chat with him, asking about school and life, and asking what the reason for his visit was. 

“Well Mrs. Dupain-Cheng–” 

“Please,” she interrupted. “Call me Sabine. Goodness knows our last name is a mouthful!” 

“Sabine, then. I’m not sure if Marinette told you, but she and I were partnered together for a school project, and I realized I didn’t have a way to contact her outside of seeing her at school. So I decided to swing by and get her phone number, and if she wasn’t busy I was going to see if we could even get a head start on it. I have the rest of the afternoon to myself, and Nino is busy today. His aunt is moving and he is helping out.” 

Sabine gave a knowing look to Marinette when Adrien mentioned the phone numbers. Adrien seemed to be a bit oblivious to the look, and the context of a guy asking for a girls phone number in general. Marinette still had to hold back a squeak at the thought of (legitimately) having his number. 

“Nino is a such a nice young man, I’m glad you both have him as a friend.” Her mother remarked. Adrien tried not to roll his eyes. _If only my father were of the same opinion._

They finished off their soup, and Marinette escorted Adrien to her room as inconspicuously as possible. 

Once the trapdoor shut behind them, she wheeled on him. 

“So what really is the reason for your unannounced, unmasked visit?” She raised an eyebrow at him. 

“You think I’d lie to your mom?” He looked slightly offended. Adrien prided himself on being as honest as possible. Well, as honest as circumstances allowed, anyway. “I really did realize I didn’t know how to get a hold of you. And I really do have the rest of the afternoon off. Nino really is helping his aunt move.” Suddenly a blush started creeping up his neck. “I-I also wanted… to see you. If we really are going to be friends, well, friends hang out together, don’t they?” The tone of his voice indicated to Marinette that he was embarrassed. She cracked out a smile, and he relaxed. 

“I suppose those are acceptable reasons.” She said. 

“Oh, one more thing. I also wanted to apologize for blowing up last night. I took out a lot of my frustrations on you and that wasn’t fair or acceptable. I wanted to let you know I was sorry.” He looked sheepishly at her. 

_How can someone be so darn cute?_ She had briefly struggled with the idea of having a crush on Chat Noir’s secret identity, but she realized that there was no real reason for her to be ashamed of it. He was smart, kind, funny, and his looks were a great bonus. She realized she knew him quite well already, and the trust she extended to his superhero self seemed to extend quite easily to include his civilian self. She knew that once Alya spotted her apparent new comfort, she would be questioned to death, but that was another day’s problem. 

“I _suppose_ I can forgive you,” she said, drawiling out the words and tapping her chin, “but only if you let me win at Ultimate Mecha Strike III!” 

“ _Let_ you win? I don’t think I’m going to have a choice in who wins, last time we played, you kicked my butt pretty thoroughly.” His surprise quickly shifted into a glint of competitiveness. “I _have_ been practicing though, maybe I _will_ have to let you win!” He teased right back. 

The afternoon disappeared into trash talk and clicking buttons. Adrien earned his forgiveness in the first round– apparently Marinette had been practicing too. They swapped out games as they grew bored of each one. Adrien discovered Marinette had battling games downpat, but racing games tended to end with her car falling off the edges. He won a lot more of those. He also made a point of teasing her about her victory dances, which she then began to exaggerate further, just to make him laugh. 

He went home just before 5- Nathalie insisted on him being home for dinner- and the Gorilla picked him up. They exchanged numbers. In the end, they didn’t get any homework done, but they didn’t care. They had lots of time for that. 

**Monday**

“Marinette, hurry up, you’re going to be late for school!” Tikki sat on Marinette’s shoulder, her wielder still fast asleep. Her alarm clock was buzzing loudly, and while Tikki desired to turn the noisy contraption off, she knew if she did, Marinette would not wake any time soon. So she sat there and insistently poked her cheek as an attempt to wake her. “Wake! Up! You! Silly! Goose!” she said, emphasizing each word with a poke. Her charge stirred a little. 

“Mmmmm stupid cat…” she mumbled in her sleep. “I said don’t poke the beehive.” She swatted at Tikki, who dodged the hand. She sighed, exasperated. She was about to give the loudest yell she could muster into Marinette’s ear, when the floor hatch opened up. Tikki dove for cover instead, as Sabine entered the room. 

“Marinette, dear, it’s time to get up. You won’t have time to eat if you aren’t careful.” Sabine came and took the blankets off her daughter, and then sat and nudged her shoulder. This seemed to have more of an effect, and Marinette’s eyes fluttered open. She curled into a ball, now slightly colder than before. 

“I’m awake, I’m awake…” she slowly sat up and yawned, stretching her arms over her head. She glanced at the clock. “Shoot! Oh mama I have to go! I’m going to be so late!” She practically jumped over her mother in her effort to get down and shower quickly. 

She showered, dressed, scarfed down a croissant, and booked it to school, almost forgetting Tikki in the process. Her mother chuckled, seeing her daughter so frantic. She arrived at the front steps just as the bell was ringing, and as she jogged up- curse her two left feet- she tripped. 

She braced herself for the bruise she was about to earn, but instead met a pair of arms. 

“Are you okay?” The voice asked. She looked up at her savior, and found herself staring back at her own face. 

Well, not quite. 

She had black hair tied in a braid over her shoulder, bright blue eyes, and pale skin, dotted with a few freckles. She had round cheeks and a small straight nose, but unlike Marinette’s Asian heritage, this girls features had a hint of something else to them. Even her clothes were reminiscent of Marinette’s style, though a little more bold. She wore a red jacket over a charcoal top, and her knee-length shorts were white. Marinette vaguely registered the clinking of bracelets on her wrists. Her shoes matched her jacket, red ballet flats with a very slight heel to them. The eyes she stared into were framed with thicker brows, and seemed to hold a look of concern mixed with confusion. 

Marinette realized she had been staring a little too long. 

“Oh my gosh I am so sorry, thank you so much for helping me! I’m such a klutz!” She stammered. She picked herself up from the other girls arms and brushed herself off. “Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around school before!” _I think I’d notice someone who looked like me, or that at least Alya would say something._

“I am, actually. Today is my first day!” The other girl brightened up a little. She looked behind her towards the door. “Oh crap, I think I’m going to be late, I don’t even know where my classroom is yet!” 

Marinette perked up. “That’s no problem, I can help you find it! What’s your teachers name, do you know?” The two began to walk into the school. The other girl began to pull out some papers from her backpack. 

“Uhh… it says…Mrs. Bustier? What a name…” she mumbled the latter part to herself, but Marinette heard her anyways. 

Marinette giggled. “Oh that’s easy then, we’re in the same class!” 

The girl’s eyes shot open with excitement. “Really?! That’s fantastic! You’ll know all the upcoming homework too so I can catch up! Oh this is so lucky!” 

Marinette beamed. _I would have thought today was an unlucky day, but apparently my bad luck is being someone else’s good luck today! I think I can live with that._

“By the way, what is your name? I just realized I don’t even know it, and I’m already asking for favours!” The other girl asked. 

“Oh it’s no problem, I’m happy to help. My name is Marinette!” 

“That’s too funny! My name is Marieta! But please, call me Marly.” 

“Marly?” She raised an eyebrow. “How do you get Marly out of Marieta? Why not just Marie?” 

“Ugh I hate being called Marie, it was my grandmother’s name, and she was such a rude old lady, always criticising people. I’ve met some nice Marie’s, but my grandmother just spoiled the name for me. My middle name is Linnea, like the flower, so I mashed ‘em together for something a little different. Not many people call me that, though. New school, new start, maybe I’ll have better luck getting it to stick here, yeah?” 

“Well, I can help make it stick! It’s nice to meet you Marly!” 

The two girls giggled, and entered the classroom. Upon walking through the doors, they were met with several gasps. 

“Marinette! I didn’t know you had a twin sister!” Shouted Kim, jumping from his seat, hands smacking loudly against his desk. 

“Uh, she doesn’t, you dolt! They’re probably cousins or something.” Retorted Alix. Kim responded to her with an eye roll. 

“Yeah, uh, Mari, why didn’t you tell me you had family in town? Let alone that you were bringing them to school?” Asked Alya. She seemed to be a little miffed for being out of the loop. 

“I don’t have family in town, Alya. This is Marly, she’s new to the school. We just met outside on the front steps.” Marinette explained. “Do you really think we look that much alike?” She had seen the resemblance herself, but then again, she saw her own face in the mirror everyday. She looked to Marly, who shrugged in reply. 

A series of nods were seen around the room. Apparently the resemblance was striking. 

Among those who didn’t nod were Chloe- who just sneered at the pair instead- and oddly, Adrien. 

Adrien was feeling rather confused. This girl DID remind him of someone, but he couldn’t place who it was. It wasn’t Marinette though, of that he was sure. He didn’t really see the resemblance. He was able to pick out enough differences that the similarities were nullified. 

“So… your doppelgänger goes to our school now then? That’s pretty freaky.” Nino sat back in his seat and stared off into the distance. “Some legends say that if you meet your doppelgänger, you’re going to die.” He looked a little shell shocked as he turned back to Marinette. 

There was a distinctive gasp from the back row. Rose could be seen leaning into Juleka for support, eyes wide with fear. 

“She is not my doppelgänger, everyone, we just happen to look alike. No big deal.” Marinette crossed her arms and gave a meaningful glare to Nino. 

“Yeah, Nino, way to be dramatic!” Alya scolded. “Lay off the horror flicks, bro. Marly, you should come sit here with us! We can make room!” 

Marly’s look of concern and embarrassment slowly faded away, replaced by a grin. 

“Thanks. Alya, was it?” The other girl nodded and smiled in response. 

“Hmph.” Chloe clearly wasn’t pleased with all the attention on Marinette and the new girl. “I guess some people just have so common and ugly of faces that it’s easy find them everywhere. Glad I don’t have that problem!” She sneered, wearing a mean grin that she paired with a flip of her hair. 

“I think the reason no one has a face like yours is that no one else has had nearly as much plastic surgery as you have.” Heads whipped around in shock to Marly, the apparent speaker. “I wonder what cost more: the clothes you’re wearing, or that botched nose job?” 

Shocked silence. Chloe’s mouth opened in offense. It was finally broken by Alix cracking out in laughter. Soon most of the class laughed too. Adrien did his best to stifle his, after all, he did still try to be Chloe’s friend. Sabrina was trying to cover her laughter too, but wasn’t nearly as successful. 

“How dare you! You pompous little bitch! My daddy is going to bury you so deep in lawsuits for slander that you won’t even be able to afford those crappy second-hand rags you wear!” She screeched. 

“Hate to break it to you blondie, but slander only applies to things that are untrue. Even your daddy can’t save you there, considering he probably foots the bill!” Marly was on a roll, and she leaned her head back in a cackle. 

“THAT’S IT!!” At that point in time Chloe got up and stomped over to where Marly stood. She raised her hand and struck at her, fingers curled to scratch her face. Before she could make contact, Marly’s hand snatched out and caught her wrist. 

“CHLOE BOURGEOIS!” Every head snapped around to the front of the room. Mrs. Bustier had just walked in, and jaws dropped at the realization of what was about to happen. “Young lady, you march yourself to the principals office right this minute! Physical violence is not tolerated on school grounds! We will be having a word with Mr. Damocles and with your father about your punishment.” Chloe tried to protest, but was silenced with a glare from the teacher. She hung her shoulders in resignation and began to walk, throwing one last glare at Marly before leaving. 

It took a beat, once the door shut behind them, before the class erupted in cheers. Marly looked a little stunned at the outburst, but soon was beaming along with the rest of the class, most of whom got up to clap her on the back or congratulate her. 

The class settled eventually, and meandered back to their seats. 

Marinette- along with most of the class- decided she liked Marly. Not many people were brave or clever enough to stand toe to toe with Chloe and come out unscathed. 

Adrien on the other hand, was struggling, for he had just realized who Marly reminded him of. 

Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get wreck'd Chloe.
> 
> Adrien, you idjit.
> 
> For those wondering, Marly is Catalan, and it is for a very deliberate reason. Her full name is Marieta Linnea Thomas. I played a lot with word meanings and the various translations of ladybug in other languages before settling on this name.


	4. Gifts and Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which gifts are given, cakes are made, fluff happens, and Alya and Marinette threaten my rating with their inability to control their sinful thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life kept getting in my way, and this chapter didn't want to end. So here's 7000+ words of (mostly) fluff. I swear I meant for this to be angsty but these kids are too innocent. I'll break them soon enough.

Wednesday

It turned out that Chloe wasn't suspended, as most students hoped. She didn't even get a detention. There was a lot of grumbling at this, but to Adrien, it wasn't unexpected. Mayor Bourgeois was a very doting father, and Chloé had him wrapped around her fingers. So when brought before Mr. Damocles, Chloé pointed out how she hadn't actually (managed to) hit “Madmoiselle Thomas”, and therefore did nothing wrong. Mrs. Bustier pointed out that the attempt was still made. In the end, the Mayor made some vaguely threatening suggestions about school budgets, and Chloe got away with it.

 

She had, however, been instructed to steer clear of Marly, to avoid further troubles. Several days passed without any interactions between Marly and Chloé, except the latter throwing glares at the former whenever the teacher wasn't looking. Chloé was unusually quiet to the class in general, but she still walked with the air of someone who would squash anyone who got in her way. The students took it as the small break it was, and enjoyed the relative peace.

 

Marinette and Adrien had spent the previous evening at her house, working on the written project. It was due the following day, so they had plans again that night to bake their chosen desserts. They had a hard time choosing, but most of the decision was made for them once they did their research. It turns out that croissants and baguettes are in fact credited to Austria for their creation, and macarons are from Italy. They settled on eclairs, which were credited to a French man, Marie-Antoine Carême. They got the presentation done early, and after a dinner (courtesy of Sabine), they hung out until Nathalie and the Gorilla came to pick Adrien up. Tom had already agreed to help them out and would have the kitchen ready for them when they got back from school.

 

Wednesday morning began as most school mornings do, everyone arriving at their usual times, including Marinette, arriving shortly before the bell. Marly hadn't arrived yet, but everyone else was in their assigned seats. As Marinette walked into the classroom, she greeted Nino as usual, and accompanied her greeting to Adrien with a side order of a shoulder touch as she walked by. He blushed a little before returning the greeting with a lopsided grin.

 

Alya had noticed their apparent comfort with each other. She put on her Reporter Face, and leaned towards Marinette as soon as she reached her seat.

 

“I just realized that I never heard the results of you asking Adrien out.” She said, “Did you do it? Did he say yes? Is that why you two are so buddy-buddy?” Alya's inquisitive glare had Marinette cowering slightly. _Oh great._ Marinette groaned internally. _Here it comes._

 

“No, I didn't ask him out.” Alya looked like she was about to speak, so Marinette cut her off. “I was going to, the sentence was half-way out of my mouth, and then the akuma showed up. We both missed your text messages until it was too late.” Alya looked a little put out. “The Toy-Master trapped us together before we could escape. We ended up chatting the entire time, seeing as there was nothing else to do.”

 

“Except each other, you mean.” Alya's face contorted into a shit-eating grin.

 

“Alya! Nooo! Get your head out of the gutter!” She playfully pushed her friend, and couldn't help the grin and blush combo that took over her face. It's not that she hadn't considered those things at length, she just didn't need that line of thoughts during school hours-- it would only end in embarrassment.

 

“Anyway,” Marinette continued. “He came by the next day around lunch to get my phone number--”

 

It was at this point that she was interrupted by Alya grabbing her shoulders violently and whisper-shouting. At least she had the self-control not to scream. “HE ASKED FOR YOUR PHONE NUMBER?! Mari, these are things you are supposed to tell me right after they happen! Congrats girl! Have you texted him yet? You should ask him out on a date through text, then you don't have to worry about stuttering!”

 

“How about I finish my story, and then I will explain why I'm not going to do that?” The look on Alya's face was a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Marinette continued, “We hung out for a few hours and played video games and chatted the rest of that afternoon. Last night he was over for dinner, and we finished the project. We have plans for tonight as well.” Alya was practically vibrating in her seat. Marinette and Adrien had spent a lot of time in each other's company lately, and Alya knew her own excitement was probably dwarfed by Marinette's inner thrills.

 

“Marinette, you sly dog! Girl, who knew an akuma's bad timing would lead you to snaring Adrien at long last!” She lightly punched her friend's arm, grinning ear to ear. “Should I start planning a wedding?”

 

Marinette smiled sadly. “That's the thing Alya, I think the reason I'm not nervous as much is because I realized that trying to pursue him romantically isn't going to get me anywhere. At least, not right now.”

 

Alya stopped. “Wait, what? So, you're just giving up? Are you just going to let this opportunity that you've fought so hard for just... slip away?”

 

“No!” She sighed, exasperated. “When Adrien and I got stuck in that dollhouse, I learned a lot about him.” She lied. _Really, it was in my bedroom, after finding out he runs around in leather and cat ears. We weren't stuck in the house for very long at all._ “I knew his dad wasn't around much. I knew Chloé was possessive of him. I knew he had a lot of fan girls and not a lot of friends. What I didn't realize was how it affected him, or how deep it was. Alya, he is so, so lonely. I can't just swoop into his life and be his girlfriend! He doesn't need another girl fawning over him and monopolizing the little free time he has. What he needs is people he trusts, people to talk to, to just be a normal teen with. He needs friends! Good ones, honest, dependable, trustworthy friends. Alya, he is so kind and patient. He puts up with so much crap from the people around him, he deserves so much better.” Alya was touched by the compassion she could hear in her friend's voice. “So, instead of trying to date him, I'm going to be the best friend he deserves. I'd appreciate it if instead of pushing me to date him, if instead you'd help me to help him make good friends.”

 

Alya looked like she was going to cry. “Awww, Marinette, I am so proud of you! So grown up and mature!” She was totally hamming it up intentionally. But her words were still sincere. “Yes, I will most definitely help you! Operation: Besties for Blondie is a Go! I'll make sure to invite him to way more group outings and stuff. Even if he can't come, I'll extend the invitation so he knows we want to include him.”

 

Marinette chuckled. “Sounds perfect to me. Thanks, Alya. Our first mission: find a better name than 'Besties for Blondie'.” Alya's shit-eating grin was back.

 

“Oh, don't worry Mari, I have way more names where that came from!” Marinette suspected that the first suggestion was likely going to be the tamest she heard in a while.

 

The bell rang for class to start. Marly still hadn't arrived, but class began, regardless.

 

As the school day droned on, Alya scribbled down any and every name she could conjure. Marinette nixed several ideas, including (but not limited to): “Buds for Studs”, “Gals finding Pals”, “The Ami Whammy”, “Bros instead of Ho's” (“Are you calling me a ho?” She accused), and “Friends for Adrien” (“You aren't even trying to rhyme them anymore, are you?” “Shut up, you're the one that keeps shutting me down!” “Why are they all in English, anyways?” “Uh duh! It's a secret mission, foreign languages confuse your targets so they don't catch on!”).

 

Finally, it was lunch time. As per her promise, Alya managed to swing it so the two girls, the boy in question, and Nino all had lunch together. Marinette was extremely grateful that her mom started packing her lunch even heavier than normal-- she probably was expecting Adrien to be snagging pieces too, now. Laughter, food, and a few cleverly laid traps by Alya to uncover Adrien's schedule, and the group was now going to try to eat lunch together every day, plus some weekend adventures when Adrien wasn't busy.

 

Lunch came to a close, and as everyone returned to the classroom, Marly finally arrived.

 

She came in to the room carrying a white box, wrapped with yellow ribbon. She walked straight past Adrien and Nino, and over to Chloé.

 

Chloé saw her coming and quickly looked away, a small 'hmph' and a flick of her ponytail indicating she was going to blatantly ignore Marly.

 

Marly seemed unperturbed though. She placed the box square in front of Chloé, stood back and put her hands behind her back.

 

“Chloé, I just wanted to apologize to you.” Marly began. “My first day in class, I said some very rude and mean things to you. It was a really bad way for me to introduce myself, and I wanted to try to make amends. We got off on the wrong foot, and if it's okay with you, I'd like to try to start over. You seem like you could be a really interesting person to know. You're proud, you're unashamed of who you are, you've got great taste in clothes, and I bet there's even more to you underneath your tough exterior.” 

 

At this point, all of the class was unabashedly staring, mouths hanging open. Sabrina and Adrien had a sliver of hope for thoughts yet to be formed for Chloé. The girl in question was still pointedly looking away, but she also looked like she was warring with herself- to arrogantly accept the praise, to continue to ignore her, or maybe even something else. Whatever that other option was, Adrien and Sabrina could feel their hearts begging for it.

 

“The truth is, Chloé, my words were lies. You are beautiful, and I think the only thing about you that is fake is the coldness you show.” One could hear a pin drop in the classroom, even the breaths of the students was muted. “I think you feel very deeply, and it probably scares you enough that you keep everyone at arms length, so you won't get hurt. You can go ahead and tell me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am.” She took a deep breath. Chloé's body seemed to be losing it's rigid stance, Adrien wondered if it was a reflection of her thoughts. Marly continued on, “Chloé, I brought you a gift as an apology. Based on what our classmates have told me, you express and understand affection through gifts. It's not uncommon or unheard of-- there are many ways we express love in our lives, and ways we understand them. So I thought I'd express my apology in a way you might be more able to understand.” She gestured to the box. “Open it, don't open it, toss it, tear it up, burn it, give it away. Do whatever makes you happy, it's yours now. I will warn you though, it's one of a kind. There is no other like it in the world.” Chloé's eyes snapped up to Marly, scrutinizing.

 

Curiosity seemed to get the better of her. Hesitantly, she reached for the box, but then retracted her hand. She eyed Marly suspiciously. “Sabrina! You open it! It's probably a trap.” She pushed the box towards her friend without looking away and then crossed her arms. She stared down Marly, probably trying to watch for any sign of deception.

 

Sabrina, surprised, reached over and carefully opened the box. She leaned back as the ribbon came undone, and she slowly lifted the lid. Nothing seemed to happen, so she leaned closer to inspect the contents. She gasped softly.

“Chloé, y-you had better look at this.”

 

Chloé stared down Marly for another second, before reluctantly removing her gaze and looking at the open box. What she saw seemed to take her breath away. She reached inside and pulled out a piece of clothing.

 

From where Adrien was seated, he could see the colour first. It was black, and golden honey-- darker than both his and Chloé's hair. Long-- that was the next impression he got as the item was lifted from it's box. It was longer than Chloés torso, she had to stand up to pull it out completely. Finally, a soft fur trim clued him into what the item was. A winter coat!

 

The coat was a long, double-breasted capelet coat. The long body of it was the golden yellow he had seen. The cape itself hung down to the bust, parting in the front on a curve, and was made of what looked like a very soft, very warm black fur. The sleeves and bottom edge of the coat were trimmed with the same material. The belt at the waist and the buttons were also black. She looked up at Marly, the awe on her face clear as day. Marly nodded at her, and slowly, Chloé put the jacket on. She buttoned it up, the collar fitting comfortably around her neck, clearly designed to be as warm as it was stylish. It hung down to the middle of her thighs, flaring out from the belt for a curvy silhouette. She tugged and prodded and checked it out-- there was no traps awaiting her in the coat. Finally, satisfied that the gift was not a trick, and was of a decent quality, she took it off silently and inspected the tag. She gasped loudly, making the class jump-- everyone seemed to be invested in this scene.

 

“Taylor&Thomas? How did you get a coat from Taylor&Thomas! Their winter line shouldn't be out yet, and they're super exclusive sellers. Even daddy has trouble getting me clothes from them! How?! Tell me!”

 

“I got it because my dad is a Thomas. His whole side of the family is full of designers that work for the company. It's easy to do when you have cousins who are skilled sewers who you can bribe with baked goods. You won't see it come out for the winter season though, like I said before, it's one-of-a-kind. I had my cousin make it exclusively for you.”

 

Silence rang out in the room. Adrien was watching the girl's reaction closely. Not many people knew that Chloé was capable of crying. It was hard, it was rare, and it usually got swallowed down rather than let out. But he saw it. The glimmer in her eyes. She was touched, she was grateful, she was floored. Most of the class wouldn't see it, and not just because her back was turned to them. He wondered if Sabrina could pick it out. 

 

Today was not a day for crying, though. Chloé swallowed once, twice, took a deep breath, and carefully set the coat back in it's box, folding it cautiously and neatly. She closed the lid, and looked at Marly. Only in the dead silence of the classroom could it be heard. Quieter than any pin could have fallen, a tiny, breathy “Thank you” came from Chloé. Marly, taking it as a cue, smiled at her, and said “You're welcome” with all the sincerity she could muster. She then returned to her seat, and Chloé sat, staring at nothing, tuning out the rest of the world as she processed the event.

 

The bell rang and the class jumped. It shattered the silence, and soon, whispers and chatter abounded, eyes flicking between the two girls. Marly casually watched Chloé, and Chloé continued staring into space, completely unfazed by the bell and the chatter.

 

**Wednesday Afternoon**

 

The school bell rang, releasing students from class. As Adrien stood up, he walked over to Chloé, who didn't seemed to have noticed the bell, and remained seated. He reached down and touched her shoulder. She seemed to snap out of her reverie and looked up at him.

 

“School's over and you were just staring into space. Are you okay?” He was slightly concerned for her, but he knew if he pushed the wrong buttons, she would just shut him out. So he would let her share what she felt like sharing, and wouldn't probe.

 

“Y-yeah. I've... got a lot on my mind. I'll see you later.” She grabbed her bag and walked away, not even looking to see if Sabrina was following or not. Adrien and Sabrina shared a knowing look of concern.

 

“I'll keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't accidentally walk into traffic or anything. I'll text you if she says anything. She probably won't talk to either of us until there is no witnesses anyways.” Sabrina told him. She then jogged to catch up to Chloé, who continued to stare off into space as she walked.

 

Adrien considered the effect Marly's words must have had, how true they must have rang to leave Chloé, the Proud Queen of Unapologetic Sass, in a state of shock.

 

Marly hadn't started the fight. She hadn't been the one to strike at Chloé. Chloé owed her an apology too, but no one was holding their breath for that.

 

Marly had stepped up to be the bigger person, and for that, Adrien was incredibly impressed. _Marly's behaviour was very kind. She really is a lot like Ladybug. He mused. She's clever and quick, and mature. She apologized for her mistake, even if she doesn't expect the other person to accept it or return the gesture. I wonder--_

 

He was snapped out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Marinette. She smiled gently at him.

 

“We should get going, we have a lot of baking ahead of us.” He returned the smile and nodded. He grabbed his backpack and they headed out the door. It was a silent walk to her house, but not awkward. Adrien was lost in his thoughts regarding Marly. Marinette was curious, but she refused to be nosy.

 

When they arrived at the bakery, Tom, dusted in flour and a few streaks of icing, greeted them.

 

“Ah, good! I'm sorry, but your éclairs are going to have to wait a little while. I just got a rush order in for a big wedding cake, and I needed the kitchen. I'm going to need your help though! Adrien, I know you've never baked before, so I made two small cakes for you two to warm up and practice on. Marinette, can you show him the ropes?” Adrien looked nervous, but Marinette grabbed his hand and led him around. She grabbed him a chefs hat and apron, donned her own, and they washed their hands.

 

They stepped over to the cakes, and she began instructing him on how to shave down the top, and cover it in a basic layer of icing.

 

“The next step for us is deciding on a theme. We're going to put fondant on top, and then decorate it, so we need to choose the colours we want to work with.”

 

“What colours can the fondant be?” He had an idea brewing in his mind, and he wanted to be sure it could be done.

 

“Any colours really. We can even get the edible paint out and make patterns on it.” Adrien was sold on his idea.

 

“I want red then. The brightest red we can make. Is there black edible paint?”

 

She had an inkling of where this was going. “Are you making a Ladybug cake?”

 

He looked scandalized that she caught on so quickly.

 

“...Yes.” He sheepishly admitted.

 

She chuckled. “We do have those colours. Alright. I'll make a Chat Noir cake then. They can be a matched set.”

 

He grinned widely. They grabbed the food colouring, fondant, and edible paints and got to work. Marinette decided rather than making black fondant (which she could do), she wanted to make it a green cake. She mixed up a nice shade of peridot. Adrien wondered why she kept looking at him between adding drops of colour, before he realized she was basing the colour off of his eyes. His red fondant took no time at all, and soon they had it rolled out in a big pancake. She showed him how to lift it onto the cake and smooth it out. She was impressed when his came out even smoother than hers.

 

She grabbed the edible paints and directed him to the brushes. He began drawing black spots on his cake, she began drawing black paw prints on hers.

 

She grabbed icing bags. “Now for some piping. We have all sorts of tips we can use, stars, dots, swirls. The limit is your imagination. He thought about it for a second, before he had a great idea.

 

“How big can we make round dots?”

 

“As big as you want really, why? What do you have in mind?”

 

He seemed hesitant to say. “Is there some way I can practice before putting it on the cake? I don't want to screw it up.”

 

She grabbed him some wax paper and handed him a piping bag. He mixed up some red icing and began making rather large dots. Grabbing the edible paint, he tried painting on the icing, but it just squished under his brush. Frowning, he looked at the materials in front of him. He grabbed some of the leftover red fondant and began rolling it into a ball. Once he was satisfied with the shape, he grabbed a brush and tried painting on it. The fondant held it's shape much better. He made a few more just to practice, and practiced several types of trails with the piping bag just to learn the skill. He picked it up remarkably quick, and soon moved onto his actual cake, making thumbnail-sized hemispheres around the bottom of the cake. Marinette made her own icing, opting for black again. She was going to make trails of various sized dots-- she wanted it to resemble cataclysm.

 

Adrien finished his dots and went back for the black edible paint. Carefully and patiently, he went to his wax paper dots and began painting on them, practicing. Marinette paused her work to observe what he was doing.

 

_He's turning them into little Ladybugs!_

 

“Adrien, that is so cool!” He grinned, but didn't take his eyes off of his work. Once he painted all the practice bugs, he moved over to his cake. Marinette left him to his work, and continued adding dots to her own.

 

The base of his cake was surrounded by little ladybugs, and it looked like it was done, but Marinette had one more skill to teach him before they could move onto the wedding cake order.

 

“Now we have to practice flowers. We can use some of the black icing I already prepped, but we have to switch tips. I'll grab some red icing too.” Disappearing briefly, she returned with a tub of icing, and some icing bags. She demonstrated how to make all sorts of shapes of flowers, and despite being new to it, he picked it up quickly. He only needed a handful of practices of each type of flower before he had it down pat, even if his pace was slower than hers. She did have years of practice after all. She demonstrated how to add them to the cake without ruining them, using a tool that resembled scissors or pliers. She added a black rose to the center of her cake. He added a few red roses that he made to the top of the Ladybug cake, and then a few small black violets surrounding them.

 

Tom came into the kitchen carrying several flat pans with plain cakes on top. “Are you two nearly done with practice? The cakes are cooled and ready for us to start working on them.” He placed the cakes on the counter and came over to inspect their work.

 

He paused momentarily, his eyes glancing from one cake to the other. “Adrien, which one did you make?”

 

“Uh, the Ladybug one, sir.”

 

“Really?” He drawled out. “To be quite honest, I couldn't tell which one was yours and which was Marinette's. Are you sure you've never baked before?” (Marinette might have taken offense to that, if she wasn't also impressed.)

 

“Quite sure, sir. My father hires personal chefs to do all the household cooking, and he has me on a strict diet for my job. I'm barely allowed sweets, let alone to go into a kitchen to make them myself.” The young man replied, shrugging.

 

Tom took this information in silently. Finally, he broke out in a wide smile. “My boy, I think you have a natural gift. I'm thoroughly impressed. If you are ever in need or want of work, I would be happy to have you here. I could train you, but judging by this, it won't take long for you to learn! Maybe you'll be even better than me one day.” he winked. Adrien went wide-eyed and red, before he smiled.

 

Shyly, he looked between Marinette and her father. He almost rubbed the back of his neck before he remembered he was covered in icing. “You really think so?”

 

Marinette smiled at him, and stage whispered behind her hand, “Take the compliment, he doesn't hand out that kind very often!”

 

Adrien considered it. _I'm good at piano because I've studied for years. I'm good at fencing because I've had lessons and I had to learn on the fly for battling akumas. I enjoy school and learning, but those don't really count as skills, do they? Mr. Dupain-Cheng says I have a natural gift. I've never been told that for my other skills. Wow!_ Adrien was getting giddy with excitement. He really wanted to get his hands on the wedding cake now-- he had to see if it was a fluke or he really was gifted.

 

“What would you two like to do with these? We could sell them in the shop, I bet they'd disappear very quickly. Or you could eat them yourselves.” Tom suggested.

 

Adrien pulled out his phone instead, grabbed Marinette and sat her on the opposite side of the island counter. She complied to his hands, though blushing at the contact, posing so her chin and hands rested together on the counter top, elbows resting on either side, peeking out between the two cakes. He then told her “Don't move!” and dashed around. He knelt so the phone camera was level with the counter top, and was about to snap a picture, when Tom tapped him on the shoulder and gestured to take the camera. Confused, Adrien handed it over slowly. Tom pointed in Marinettes general vicinity.

 

“Go.”

 

Adrien caught on then, and hopped over to where Marinette was squatting. He stood behind her, put his hands on the counter on the far sides of her. It leaned him down enough that his head was just above hers, so he lowered it further and to one side. Marinette blushed at his proximity, but didn't comment. The two smiled, Adrien's an ear to ear gleam, Marinette's a tad red, but genuine.

 

Once Tom took the photo, Adrien dashed back and immediately began posting it on every social media page he had. He set it to Marinette's contact picture, and his phone background. (Later on, he would debate between keeping Ladybug as his computer screen, or switching it, but opted for a compromise. He set up a slide show background of him with his friends, including some of his favourites of Chat Noir and Ladybug. For good measure, he threw in some landscape shots he was fond of, and some Jagged Stone album covers.)

 

Satisfied, he tucked his phone away. He looked at the cakes, debating what to do with them. On the one hand- eating cake. On the other hand, he was super proud of his cake and wanted it immortalized. Sadly, he figured that would be pretty impossible. Photos would have to suffice. Or he could let them be sold in the bakery, and others could appreciate his work, but then he wouldn't get to eat it. _Decisions, decisions._

 

“Papa, why don't we put them in the fridge in the back for now, and we get to work on the wedding cake? It needs to be done, and it will give us time to decide.” Marinette said. Tom nodded, and pulled out the order forms. He showed the two teens the papers, and explained to Adrien the design he came up with and how to interpret his sketches. Marinette, already familiar with her fathers short-hands, grabbed some clean icing bags and started mixing colours. The order was for a traditional white cake, with grape vines crawling up it. She mixed up some deep greens and purples for the leaves and grapes. While she did that, Tom grabbed the bags of black and red icing and showed Adrien how to make the leaves. He left him to practice a few onto the wax paper while he began applying icing and fondant to the cakes. When Adrien was confident he had the shape down-pat, and with an approval from Tom, he joined him in smoothing out the fondant.

 

Time slipped away, and by dinner time, the cake was mostly done, the two teens were covered in icing and spots of food dye, and stomachs were beginning to growl. Sabine came into the kitchen to let them know dinner would be ready soon, so Tom shooed the kids off to clean up, insisting that he would finish up and join them shortly.

 

Marinette and Adrien were about to take off their hats and aprons when Marinette noticed a bit of icing on Adriens chin. She giggled a little, and told him “Hold still.” He complied, and she swiped it off with her thumb. She eyed the icing, and debated. _I wonder what he would do if I licked this icing off my thumb?_ She could feel the threatening blush, and decided on a safer option. She ran her thumb down his chest, exaggeratedly smearing the icing on his apron, and laughing at the slight pinkness of his cheeks.

 

Of course, he at this point noticed the icing on her cheek, and couldn't resist retaliating a little.

 

He bent over a little and kissed her cheek, trying to subtly get the icing off. The icing had hardened a little and came off easily. He stood back up to smile at her, and registered that she was frozen, and redder than his Ladybug cake. Being the awkward child he is, he then realized just how intimate his gesture was, and promptly turned nearly as red. 

 

“Oh my gosh, Marinette, I am so sorry!” His hand smacking over his mouth, “I-I don't know what came over me! I just s-saw the icing a-and--” he tried to apologize but he had lost most of his mental coherency. “Cheek”, “Icing”, “Sorry”, and something about “letting too much Chat out” were just about the only distinguishable words in the long stream he let loose.

 

Marinette, meanwhile, regained awareness, and saw him freaking out. _Here I was daydreaming about how romantic our future could be, decorating our own wedding cake... And he thinks he did something wrong! He is cute when he's frazzled, but I should probably stop him from having a full on anxiety attack..._

 

So grabbing his hands, and looking him in the eyes, she gave him a reassuring smile. He stopped babbling, but he still seemed awkward and apologetic.

 

“There's nothing to be sorry for, Adrien. You just caught me by surprise.” She said. _And what a nice surprise it was!_ She giggled and shucked her apron and hat, gesturing for him to hand his over too. She took them upstairs and threw them in the wash, and then lead him to the bathroom. She pulled out some face cloths and handed him one, and the two washed off the remaining icing. Marinette tried to keep her thoughts from wandering to the two licking the icing off of each other, but was only semi-successful. Finally, clean and hungry (and a little thirsty), the two went to the table. Sabine had already set it, and dinner was ready as they sat to the table. Tom joined them after a minute, and they began doling out portion of the seafood stir-fry and rice dish. There were a lot of what Adrien assumed were vegetables in this dish that he was not familiar with, but he enjoyed them nonetheless. 

 

Adrien really loved staying for dinner at the Dupain-Chengs. It really felt like home. He loved his father, he really did, but they rarely ate together, and barely spoke when they did. He has a few vague memories of eating dinner with his mother and father, and having that feeling of family and home, but he cursed his younger self for taking it for granted and letting the memories fade and blur. So he treasured feeling welcome and being allowed to gorge himself on the amazing foods without scrutiny. He knew Natalie's disapproval was superficial, it was her job to organize his life, but she knew full well the Dupain-Chengs let him have seconds and thirds, and take leftovers home. She never confiscated them. His mini-fridge had gained new contents besides Plagg's cheese, and he saved them for post-patrol snacks, sneaking down to the kitchen to use the microwave.

 

So when dinner was over, he insisted on helping clean up. When all the work was done, the two returned to the kitchen and made the eclairs. 3 dozen of the little buggers later, (some chocolate, some coffee, some caramel) the two flopped on the living room sofa, exhausted. They just rested for a few minutes, thoughts wandering. They had done a lot of baking and decorating that day, but it was all worth it. They had sampled a few of the eclairs for quality once they were done, and their hunger had spiked back up. Marinette's thoughts began wandering back to their other creations.

 

“We didn't make a decision on those cakes from earlier. Do we want them to be sold tomorrow, or do we want to eat them?” She asked. He considered it.

 

“I could really go for cake right now... I don't care which one.” he sighed. The two sat for another minute, not quite ready to stand up again.

 

Finally Marinette got up and went to the kitchen. Adrien stumbled along behind-- he could really use some sleep. She grabbed the Ladybug cake and a couple of forks. The two sat on some stools in the kitchen and ate. 

 

Adrien regarded his handiwork. Marinette had cut him a slice with some of the roses on top. It was really sweet-- he could feel the cavities forming and he loved it. The cake itself was vanilla, with a hint of lemon, and a layer of blueberries in the middle. Marinette wanted to roll her eyes at it, because she knew her Chat Noir cake was vanilla, with a citrus mousse layer in the middle. The symbolism was just a little more irony than she was willing to deal with right at that moment. Going down that symbolic train of thought would undoubtedly lead her to look at the fact that she was eating a cake themed after her own alter-ego, and that her long-time crush was also eating her alter-ego cake. So she decided to strike up conversation.

 

“So how about that whole Chloé/Marly debacle this morning? Quite a lot to take in, huh?” She said.

 

“Mmm... yeah.” He swallowed his mouthful of cake. “That was pretty weird. Marly was really kind to apologize like that, but I'm a little concerned for Chloé. I know you probably think she doesn't deserve it, but she has a complicated history, and it's hard for her to let people in.” Hell, he thought, she barely trusts me and Sabrina, and we are the closest people to her. “She comes off as mean, but really it's a defense. She can't get hurt if everyone is kept at arms length.”

 

“I suppose. Doesn't mean I approve of her methods of keeping everyone distant. I don't even think Ladybug herself could have been as kind as that, Marly has some otherworldly maturity going on.” She chuckled. _I can't stand Chloés attitude and her lying, and I barely tolerate her as Ladybug. Marly handled that scenario better than I could ever dream of doing._

 

Adrien was of a different opinion though. _I've only ever seen Ladybug be that forgiving. Without question, she doesn't blame akuma victims for their destruction, she apologized to Chloé when her actions got her akumatized, she even forgives me for my actions when I end up under an akumas control too. She looks the part, she acts the part. I wonder... An outsider's opinion never hurts, right?_

 

“Say, Marinette, do you ever wonder about Ladybug's identity?”

 

Marinette jumped a little. _No need for me to wonder. I know the answer._ “Uh, I can't say I haven't wondered,” she lied, “Alya's really invested in the answer though. Why do you ask?”

 

“Well, you just compared Marly to Ladybug and it got me thinking. She has the same hair colour and eye colour, she's about the right size, and then what happened today...”

 

_Is he going where I think he's going?_

 

“The similarities are really striking. Do you think Marly could be Ladybug?”

 

_Oh my gosh he actually went there! You idiot! I'm right here you stupid cat! How obtuse are you to see the similarities between Marly and Ladybug but not me and Ladybug or Marly? It's a good thing you are so damn cute because HOLY OBLIVIOUS BATMAN._ Her mental tirade went on for a few seconds longer before she realized he was waiting for her to respond. “Oh! Um... I-I can't see it. I don't know w-who Ladybug could be, but it's not me and it's not Marly, that's for sure!” She laughed awkwardly. _Just kill me now. Just, strike me with lightning, bury me in a landslide, anything but this conversation, please. I'm as smooth as a cactus, I can't safely navigate this conversation! Author of my life, if there was a time for a Deus Ex Machina, this would be it!_

 

(Alas, I am not that kind.)

 

“You really don't think so?” He seemed to ponder on this.

 

“N-no, I really don't. I don't know who Ladybug is, but I don't think Marly is her. They don't even have the same hairstyle, first off!”

 

“Well, to be fair, my hair gets longer and messier when I transform. I don't think it's that big of a stretch for her hairstyle to change. Or, she could just change it herself before battle. She could use it to throw people off her trail. You wear pigtails too, it's not like it's a difficult hairstyle to do.” He shrugged.

 

_Excuse you, I wore these pigtails before Ladybug made them cool! Wow, I just sounded like a douchey hipster, but it's true! Agh I need to chill out before I snap and say something I shouldn't. Damn it Adrien! Distract him before he clues in that I have the same hair as Ladybug!_ “I-I never noticed that your hair changed! I mean, Chat Noir does have a mop of hair, I guess. Maybe the transformation takes hair product out? Does your hair look like Chat Noir's without the gel?” _Yes, good distraction, redirect it back to him._

 

“I do get wicked bedhead. I have to shower every morning because my hair sticks up in every direction otherwise. I had to try several brands of gel before I found one that actually can tame my hair.”

 

Suddenly, a tune began to ring out into the room. Marinette realized it was the Sailor Moon theme song, and watched as Adrien reached into his pocket, retrieving his phone.

 

“It's Nathalie. Apparently it's time for me to leave.” His shoulders slumped.

 

“It is getting late.” She said, glancing at her phone. It was 20h30. “I'll see you at school tomorrow though, we have our presentation to do!”

 

“Yeah, that's right. Should I come by to help bring the eclairs to school? You shouldn't have to carry all of them by yourself.”

 

“I would appreciate that, but I'll warn you now I'm not a morning person! I may be in a bit of a state if you come by too early!” She chuckled.

 

“Ah, that's okay. I think I've had enough experience with Frantic Marinette that it won't be too bad of a shock.” He teased. “I'll be there to make sure you don't trip over your bunny slippers and drop the eclairs!”

 

Marinette's cheeks exploded red. “I-I don't have bunny slippers!” That was a total lie. She'd recently had to replace her old ones and couldn't pass up the adorable pink ones. She made a mental note to set her alarm for earlier than usual. She would not live it down if he saw them.

 

His phone sang out Sailor Moon yet again, and without even glancing at it, he knew. Time's up.

 

Sighing, he dashed upstairs to grab his backpack from the living room. He said his goodbyes to Sabine and Tom, who insisted on hugging him. He hugged back fiercely, fighting back tears a little. He hated having to leave the Dupain-Chengs home, even temporarily. Returning downstairs he found Marinette with a bakery box in her hands.

 

“I split up what was left of the Ladybug cake, and half of the Chat Noir one is in there too. You should probably keep them in a fridge-- they'll last longer that way.” 

 

_Man, if things don't work out between Ladybug and I, I might just have to try my luck with Marinette. She's so sweet, and her family is so wonderful. Anyone would be lucky to belong to her._ He snapped himself out of his thoughts-- he was a bit of a dreamer when it came to romance, and while he expressed most of those desires to Ladybug, he didn't need to put them on Marinette too. _Romantic fantasies of your potential domestic life with your classmate and friend is not going to make your life any better. Chill._

 

“Thanks! I've got a mini-fridge in my room, usually reserved for Plagg's cheeses. Speaking of the little monster, he's been unusually quiet. He hasn't begged for cheese once. Plagg?” He peeked into his pocket. Empty. He glanced around and called a little more urgently. “Plagg? Where are you? It's time to go, get your butt out here!” Plagg finally made his appearance, flying out of the pantry. “Oh, no, don't tell me you were eating in there! Plagg, that's not our food!”

 

“I wasn't eating!” He grumbled. “There was no cheese in that pantry, believe me, I looked! It was all sugar and flour! Nothing useful to me!” He crossed his arms and raised his nose in the air. “It was just a good spot for a nap! Nice and dark and lots of hiding spots! No reason to go snooping, I didn't make a mess!” He flew into Adrien's pocket, his grumbling and muttering still audible.

 

_Methinks he doth protest too much..._ Thought Marinette.

 

Adrien, recieving another text from Nathalie, made his exit at that point, getting into the limo parked outside the bakery, thanking her and promising to text her once he got home.

 

Once the vehicle pulled away, Marinette closed the door and walked over to the pantry. She peeked inside it, looking for whatever mischief Plagg had gotten into. Instead, she found Tikki, tucked away in a corner, fast asleep. A deep sense of dread filled Marinette. She poked her kwami insistently. The little red being opened her eyes and saw her chosen looking at her, and patted around with her little hands. She looked confused for a moment.

 

“Did Adrien go home already?” She asked, voice filled with sleepiness.

 

“Yes, he did. Did Plagg see you?” The dread was creeping up her neck and turning into a blush.

 

“Yes, we hid in here and napped while you two were busy.” Marinette went wide-eyed. “Your father almost found us, but we managed to stay hidden.”

 

“So Plagg knows I'm Ladybug now?” Marinettes dread was turning into alarm, and it crept into her voice.

 

“Oh, he knew long before. I knew Adrien was Chat Noir too. Plagg and I are Yin and Yang, two parts of a whole. We can sense each other from miles away.” Tikki replied, stretching and yawning. “We knew from the first class you two had together.” 

 

“YOU KNEW ALL ALONG?! TIKKI WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME! HOW CAN I BE SURE PLAGG WON'T TELL ADRIEN?!” She was desperately trying to keep her voice down, but the shock she felt was hard to control.

 

“You don't have to worry about Plagg telling. We couldn't reveal you two even if we wanted to, the magic forbids us. It's really complicated, but more or less, the only way for you two to be discovered is if you want to be.” She floated up to her charges face. “I know that's a lot to take in, but you need to go to sleep. You've got school in the morning, and quite frankly, I wasn't ready to wake up from my nap!” She giggled.

 

“Fine, but this conversation isn't over! Not by a long shot!” Tikki nodded and took refuge in one of Marinette's pigtails.

 

Sighing, Marinette wandered her way up the stairs, said goodnight to her parents, and got ready for bed. She set her alarm for an hour earlier than usual, and plugged her phone in to charge.

 

As she settled into bed, her phone buzzed. She picked it up.

 

Adrien: Home safe! I'll b by early 2 walk 2 school with u. Goodnite!

 

She smiled. Apparently having to have perfect manners all the time increased his need to text in short-hand a lot. 

 

Marinette: Okay! Goodnight! :)

 

She curled into her blankets, and smiled at the memories they had made that day. Despite the exhaustion she felt, it was a good day. She nodded off very quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrien, I want to kiss your silly head for being so cute, but I also want to cuff you for being an idjit. Get it together!
> 
> Marinette, control your thirst!
> 
> Also, something interesting I learned about a while back is Love Languages! We all have ways that we express and recieve love, some through words, some through gifts, some through spending time with them, and so on. Google it! Marly makes reference to it during her apology. Chloé and Sabrina in my mind show and recieve love through giving gifts, and while it seems shallow, it is a valid means of expressing affection!
> 
> Coming up next: Bunny slippers make an appearance, puns are made, plus bad dreams and maybe I will finally start writing the oft-promised angst.


	5. A Cat Basks In the Punshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I decided to make up for the lack of puns by overloading the chapter with as many shitty puns as I could come up with. Also, jealousy, insecurity, and revelations!
> 
> Also, DJWIFI.

Marinette awoke slowly and peacefully, to the sound of a bird chirping outside her window. It took her a few minutes to register that the bird was not outside, but next to her head, and that her windows were closed.  It took her another minute to register that the bird was talking, not singing, and it knew her name.

“Marinette, you have to wake up!”

Weird.

“Marinette!  Adrien's here!  I can hear him talking to your parents!  You need to get up because you're going to be late, and Adrien will see you with bedhead!”

Marinette grumbled about the bird needing to be quiet, much to the birds confusion, and slowly sat up.  She began to realize the bird was not in fact, a bird.  It _was_ flying, but it had no wings.  She then registered what the not-bird was saying to her.

“OH GOSH TIKKI ADRIEN'S HERE?!  CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!”  She then leapt off the loft, rushed through a shower (she looked at her clock as she exited-- 3 minutes was a new record), and dressed in a hurry.  She threw on the first clean clothes her hands landed on, double checked in the mirror that they didn't clash, barely glancing she grabbed some footwear and hair elastics and began tying up her hair. Satisfied that her hair was tied properly, she headed downstairs with her backpack, and Tikki dashed into her purse.

Adrien was indeed there already, Sabine had offered him a platter of muffins and croissants to choose from, and he was sitting at the breakfast bar, his face and posture clashing.  His body language screamed “I feel a little awkward here, super-polite-mode-activated” but his face screamed “damn this croissant hanging out of my mouth is delicious.”  If Marinette wasn’t still in the process of waking up, she might have laughed.

Sabine set out a cup of coffee for Marinette, and left the two to their own devices.  Marinette, still half asleep, chugged the coffee, black, and stood next to where Adrien sat.  He looked her up and down, and he slyly grinned at her.    He pulled out his phone and tapped away at it.  He turned back to her, but didn't put the device away.

“Finally crawled out of your _burrow,_ I see?”  He teased.

“Don't talk to me about my comfy bed.” she grumbled, “You might tempt me to go back.  I don't like mornings.”

“You could say... you don't _carrot_ all for them?”  His sly grin was slowly morphing into a shit-eating grin.

“Uh... yeah?”   _Didn't I just say that?_ She raised an eyebrow at him.  She decided to ignore his odd behaviour and grabbed a muffin for breakfast.  As she ate it, he stood up from his seat.

“Are you ready to go?  Let's grab the éclairs and _hop_ to it!”  He was grinning from ear to ear, and Marinette realized that the smile was not an Adrien-smile, but a Chat-smile.  

“A-are you feeling okay?  You're acting weird...” She commented.

“Never better!  You could say I'm _bouncing_ with energy!  I feel like I've got lucky feet today!”  She would never believe his grin could have gotten bigger if she hadn't seen it happen.  “I was sure the purpose of those hats yesterday was to keep _hares_ out of the éclairs!”

He was acting suspicious as hell, and Marinette did not feel awake enough to deal with this.  She crossed her arms, and faced him straight on.

“Seriously, what's going on, Adrien?”

“Oh Purr-incess, you lied to me, and I do believe that _warren_ -ts a little punny- or should I say _bunny-_ ribbing.”

Marinette was confused.   _Lie to him?  What?_

Finally, he decided to throw her a bone- or maybe a carrot.

He pointed at her feet with his other hand covering his barely-contained laugh.

She looked down to two pairs of big floppy ears.  Specifically, they were attached to her feet.  Her slipper-clad feet.  She was wearing her fuzzy pink bunny slippers, the ones she swore she would never let him see.  The ones she knew he would make fun of her for.  The ones she lied about the existence of.

She looked back up to Adrien, only to see his phone held up like he was taking a picture.  She didn't hear the shutter go off, but he put his phone down, and was soon laughing so hard, he went red in the face. He clutched his stomach and bent over.

“A-are you laughing at me, Agreste?!”  She was shocked.

“I'm sorry Mari, but-- your face!” He managed between gasps for air. “Y-you just-- oh man it was perfect!  It took you so long to catch on too!  Oh I am so glad I recorded that!  Priceless!”  The laughter that overtook him shook his whole body.  It shook him so hard that he fell off his chair.

Sitting on his butt on the floor, wide-eyed and stunned, he looked up at Marinette.  She looked a little stunned too, until a creeping smile appeared, and soon she was laughing as hard as he was.  His laughter began anew.  

Sabine walked into the main area carrying a large box, and spotted the two young teens crying and laughing, one on the floor, and the other clutching the counter for support.  She smiled and shook her head at the pair, set the box down and helped Adrien to his feet.

“You two had better get going, you don't want to be late!  Your éclairs are right here, ready to go.  Your lunch is on the kitchen counter, waiting.  She hugged both and returned to the bakery.

“Adrien, can you grab my lunch?  I'm going to go change out my slippers for my actual shoes.”  He nodded, grinning at the memory of her confusion, and she made her way upstairs.

He walked around the island counter to the kitchen area, Adrien found not one, but two lunch bags.  He wondered which one was supposed to be Marinette's, and whom the other was for. _Maybe it's for her dad?  Or Sabine's.  But... they both work just downstairs, they don't really need packed lunches._ He examined the bags, and realized Sabine had anticipated this problem.  She had attached name tags.  The one on the left he realized was for Marinette.  The one on the right though...

Adrien. It had his name on it.  

 _She really packed a lunch for me?_ He usually got Nathalie to pack him a lunch these days, but they were for his strict diet, so they were often fruits and veggies, but never enough of them. Well, maybe enough for a model, but not for a growing boy who moonlighted as a superhero.  He usually got hungry halfway through the afternoon again, and prayed his stomach would stay quiet until he got home.  With Marinette now being a regular feature of his life, and in extension, her parents, he usually had something sweet and carb-filled at lunch, and wasn't hungry until dinner time.  He hoped that he could always have a good relationship with all the members of the Dupain-Cheng household.  They really had a way of doing things- what most people would consider little things- that made him feel loved.    He quickly grabbed both, meeting Marinette at the bottom of the stairs to her loft.  She took her lunch, and he grabbed his satchel, placing the lunch bag carefully in it.  He grabbed the box of éclairs, and they began walking to school.

“So, how do we want to do this presentation?  Do you want to explain how to make them, or hand them out?”  He asked.

“It might actually be better if you hand them out.  The last two times I tried to bring snacks for the class, I tripped and spilled them all over the ground.  Remember Career day?”  She blushed a little.

He snorted.  “Yeah, I remember.  Chloé accused you of using your accident to steal her bracelet.  Really it was Plagg.”

“Wait, really?  Plagg stole it?”

“I did not steal it!  Don't tell lies Adrien!”  Plagg peeked out from Adrien's shirt.  “I thought it was cheese, and then I got my head stuck! Not my fault the box looked like camembert!”

“It didn't even look close to camembert!  The only similarities was the shape of the container!”  Adrien said.  Marinette's giggle interrupted the argument.  “Okay, so that's one time, which was Plagg's fault.” There was an indignant cry from Adrien's pocket. They ignored it.

“There was a second time, before that.  It was the day before you started school.  My dad made me a whole box of macarons to share with the class.  I tripped helping an old man cross the street and dropped half of them.  Then when I got to class, Chloé started trying to bully me out of my seat.  Alya was new too, and she came to my rescue.  Unfortunately, she tugged me a little to hard to the other seat--the one that Chloé later stuck gum to-” He cringed at the memory, “-and I dropped all but the last one.  Alya and I split that one, and we've been friends ever since.”

“Ah, I see.  So technically 3 times you've tripped and spilled snacks, then.  Point taken, I'll hand them out.  I think that works better anyways, since you know how to make them better than I do.”  He grinned at her, and she smiled back at him.

The two arrived at the school, and made their way to their seats.  The bell rang, and the presentations began.  Alya, Marly, and Nino did their presentation, on Ladybug and Chat Noir, of course.  They had to disappear during the presentation before them (Chloé and Sabrina’s, mostly Sabrina’s, on the Grand Paris Hotel), and when they came back in for their presentation, they were dressed as Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Bubbler.  Nino was, of course, dressed as his own akuma form.  Alya, surprisingly, was rocking the Chat Noir costume.  Marly was dressed as Ladybug, her hair in pigtails and everything.  

Adrien was shocked.

_She really looks like Ladybug!  How can Marinette not see this?  I bet Alya does! There's no way you can miss the similarities!_

Marinette on the other hand, was struggling with her own envy.  Her self-esteem took a hard hit, seeing Marly in the Ladybug suit.

 _Those are some high quality suits,_ She thought, _They look just like the real thing!  I need to know who made those!  I can't even see the elastics holding their masks up!  And Marly!  She pulls off the suit so well!  I'm lumpy in all the wrong places to be wearing something so skin tight, and here she is, as perfect as a photoshopped ad. She's flawless!  I'm Ladybug, but even a Ladybug imposter looks better than me!_

Adrien turned in his seat to face her.  “She really looks like Ladybug,” he whispered, “Don't you think, Marinette?”

 _Di-did he really just say that?_ She could feel the creeping anxiety.  She shook her head at him, praying he would drop the subject.  She couldn't afford him drawing connections between Marly and Ladybug, not when Marinette herself look identical to the former, and was secretly the latter.  He looked puzzled, but sighed, and shrugged, turning back to the front.

The three did their presentation, and even acted out an akuma attack, Bubbler being the villain-du-jour.  The class laughed and cheered, and Alya made several cat puns for good measure, earning a laugh from Adrien.  The only difference from the real thing was that Marly/Ladybug flirted back with Alya/Chat Noir.

While it was true that now, Marinette's feelings for Adrien had extended to include his alter-ego, she hadn't really had to fake her way around it as Ladybug yet.  So far, as Ladybug, she had never flirted back with Chat Noir and actually meant it.

She knew Alya was a hardcore Ladynoir shipper (she cringed that there was even a ship name for her and Chat, they were real people, for pete's sake!), so she really shouldn't have been surprised that they would portray it that way.  It still irked her.  

Before the whole “Toy Maker” incident, she had considered Chat Noir to be her best friend, the person she trusted most in the world. Secretly she found his puns amusing, and had to bite her tongue from throwing her own back at him on several occassions.  She admired how charismatic he could be, and she wouldn't trade him as her partner for the world.  If anyone asked, she probably would have said seeing Adrien was the best part of her day, but deep in her heart, something she would never admit, she knew it was a lie.  Seeing Chat Noir always made her day.  With Adrien she just felt like a lovesick fool, wishing she could get a full sentence out properly.  She dreaded seeing him some days because she knew it would just make her feel like an invisible idiot.  

Chat Noir didn't care if she was an idiot, he still spouted compliments, encouraged her, and supported her.  So while she dreamed of being with Adrien, she knew Chat Noir would always have had a place in her heart.

When she found out the two were one and the same?  She was thrilled, and terrified.  Adrien was a far-off dream, a cloud in the sky, because she figured she would never stand a chance of reaching it, and if she ever did, she knew it would be a long way to fall.  Chat Noir was her rock, the one person who understood her secret pains better than anyone.  The ground beneath her feet, who balanced her.  So now she stood on the brink, staring at the blurring image of a boy who has held her heart all along.

The more the pieces fit together, the more she felt like he still didn't see _her_.  Just Ladybug.  The mask she wears for the sake of others.  She knew he admired and respected her alter-ego.  He would have to to some degree, the amount of flirting he does.  He wouldn't endlessly support her if he didn't care at least a little.  Marinette though?  It took an akuma trapping them and him telling her his deepest secret for him to even notice she existed beyond sitting behind him in class.  It took desperate measures for him to decide to be her friend.  Hell, with the amount of croissants he had gotten courtesy of her parents, she almost felt like she was bribing him to stay sometimes.

She was afraid of him discovering she was Ladybug, because she was afraid she couldn't live up to the hype.  If someone, anyone, found out she was Ladybug, she was sure they would take one look at awkward, clumsy Marinette, and call Ladybug out as the fraud she is.  Tikki believed Marinette had moved past this during the first few akumas, but in reality, it was a nagging doubt, one she struggled to squash.  She acted all confident, but the truth was, she felt Ladybug was a goddess, and she was a measly peasant, leaving cookies in her temple.

She was snapped out of her downward spiral by a hand on her shoulder.  It was Adrien, standing beside her desk.

“Uhh, Marinette.  It's our turn... Are you okay?”  Embarassed, she stood up and the two headed to the front of the room.  Everyone was watching her, Marinette the Space Cadet.  They were the last pair to go before lunch, so of course everyone would have the chance to gossip about her.  She set up the presentation on her tablet and connected it to the projector.  Once it was up on the screen, she and Adrien began telling the history of the éclair.  Once that was done, Adrien began handing out the treats to the class, and she explained the baking process to the class.  Marly was scribbling furiously, she seemed to be taking lots of notes.  They finished their presentation just as the bell rang, and Marinette breathed a sigh of relief that there were no major hiccups.  When she reached her seat and began to pack up her things, Marly stopped her.

“Marinette, what are your plans for lunch?” She asked.  “Can I join you? Your presentation was so interesting, and I have a million questions!”  Marly seemed really excited.

“Uh...sure?” She was hesitant.  Marly genuinely seemed like a good person, but she had opted to keep her Ladybug mask on after their presentation, and it was just reminding Marinette of her insecurities.  “I was just going to eat with Alya, Nino and Adrien, so as long as it's okay with them, I don't mind.” That was a lie, but she had no reason to tell her no, not without seeming very rude, or revealing things she couldn't.  The other three in question nodded in approval, and Marly tackle hugged Marinette. The group headed out to the courtyard and settled in a corner near a few benches.  Adrien sat on the far side, Nino beside him in the corner.  Alya sat on the other bench near the corner, Marinette beside her and Marly on the outside edge

It turns out all of Marly's questions were related to the process of making éclairs.

“Okay, so, you mix it thoroughly, even if it looks curdled, because it's supposed to look like that?”  Marly asked.

“Yeah, it can't really be helped.  You just keep mixing until it's smooth. Then you put the mix in an icing bag with a round tip, and shape them onto the parchment.  It can be tricky to make them look right, they usually turn out at least a little lumpy, but with a wet spatula or something similar, you can smooth them out and make them look pretty. Then you just bake them.”  Marinette replied.

“Why a wet spatula?”

“That's because a dry one will have the batter stick to it, a wet one lets it shape without pulling the batter all over the place.”

Marly's eyes went wide, and then she stooped to scribble more notes down. The girls continued chatting about the éclairs, Marly had tried so hard to eat the ones she was given slowly, but she just couldn't resist them.  Marinette offered her the few she had taken for her share, because she could get them anytime.

Marinette learned that the other girl was an aspiring baker.  The group of them had marvelled a little at the apparent mirror of their lives. Marinette was a baker's daughter, who wanted to be a designer.  Marly was a designer's daughter, who wanted to be a baker.  Marinette decided she should introduce Marly to her folks-- the aspiring-baker could learn a lot from that interaction.

Adrien on the other hand, had to excuse himself for a few minutes once they started digging into their lunches.  He had found a note in his gift-lunch from Sabine.  It was written in Mandarin.  Marinette must have told her parents about his extra-curricular.  He started reading it, but quickly realized he wanted to keep this private.  He was a little slow to translating it, but once he got a feel for her handwriting, it got easier.  His rough translation was something like this:

 _Adrien,_ it read, _I hope you are having a good day at school so far, and that your presentation went well!  I packed your lunch with what I noticed you eat a lot of at our house, so I hope I picked right! My dear, I want you to know you are always welcome in our home.  Tom mentioned to me how he was interested in taking you on as an apprentice.  You've made quite the impression on him. In his 20 years of running the bakery, he has only taken on two apprentices, both of whom were exceptional.  If he believes you are capable, I trust that his judgment is good._

_Adrien, there are some things that I've learned from being a mother, and one of those things is to tell when a child is hurting.  Darling, I don't know what is going on in your life, but please, don't ever feel like you don't have anywhere to turn.  We've barely gotten to know each other, and already you feel like the son we never had.  If you need to talk to someone, an adult, please know that we would be happy to help you in any way we can._

_Love, Sabine._

He tried not to cry.  He really tried.  He failed, miserably.  He knew then and there he would never get any secret past Sabine, she was far too sharp to fool.  He hoped he could keep his superhero secret for a little while longer, at least.  He did trust Marinette's parents. They were some of the kindest people he had ever met.  Sabine's kindness reminded him of his own mom.  He missed her dearly, and her disappearance had left a deep rift in his heart.  His father's chosen method of coping was to distance himself, and Adrien knew it wasn't healthy at all.  He barely had the opportunity to speak to his father though, let alone convince him to seek help or stop being so cold. So he made do.  He figured the hugs were Sabine's tip-off.  Adrien was physically affectionate, he needed that in his life, and he wasn't getting it from his father.  So when Sabine and Tom hugged him, he savored those moments.

 _Marinette, you are so lucky._ He thought, looking at the note again.  He was overwhelmed with emotion and affection for the girl and her family.  There was something there, some feeling he couldn't put words to, wouldn't put words to-- not yet-- but it was deep, and his heart _ached_. Marinette had somehow rooted herself in his heart, and he knew that he would be very hard pressed to let her go.

 _Stop it Adrien.  She is your friend.  An amazing, kind, loving, adorable, sweet,-- stop!  Friend!  That's it!_ He felt like he was cheating on Ladybug for reasons he couldn't place.

He went to the bathroom, splashed some cold water on his face, and blew his nose.  He did what he could to reduce the swelling in his eyes, and returned to the group.  Marinette spotted him first, and immediately noticed his attempts to hide that he had been crying. She gave him a quizzical look, but he shook his head subtly as he sat down.  Instead he passed her the note.  She couldn't read Mandarin, but she knew how her mom's name was written, and she recognized her handwriting.  She nodded, understanding.  Her mom had a big heart and was sharp as a tack.  She figured her mom was doing what she did best.  She squeezed his hand, offering the little comfort she could, without drawing too much attention to him.

The two turned their attention back to the conversation.  Apparently the suits that the other three had worn for their presentation had been sewn by Marly.  Marinette was surprised, but Marly explained how it was actually easy.

“I had access to great fabrics, so already that can add quality.  Plus I had several designers on speed dial for advice and suggestions, and dozens of pre-made patterns for cutting things to size.  If you look closely you can see it's not a perfect job, by far, but it was enough to look the part, which is what mattered.”

Marinette examined the costumes, and saw what she meant.  There were a few spots here and there where the sewing job wasn't as clean as it could have been, but she had made plenty of those kinds of mistakes herself before.  Patience was often key, and a light pedal foot.  Still, it took a trained eye at close range to spot them, so she was still impressed.  Marly continued chattering on about living with designers, something Adrien knew pretty well.

“Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but it would be nice to leave the house without facing a dozen criticisms about my clothing choices, or suggestions to be more stylish.  I can't even develop my own style, because theirs are always being pushed on me!  It's pretty much turned me off of fashion for life.  I haven't told them of my dream to open a bakery yet.  I wonder if they’ll take it well.”  Marly mused.

Adrien knew an opportunity for puns when he saw one.  He had been saving several bakery related puns for the Dupain-Chengs, but had yet to find a good time.  T _here's never really a good time for puns, is there, though?_

With a lopsided grin, he said, “Well, you'll just have to _wheat_ and see, won't you?”

There was a pause, everyone slowly turned to look at him.  He suddenly felt very awkward, but he refused to back down.

“Oh don't _grain_ on my parade, I know you all secretly find my puns hilarious!”  There was more quiet awkward stares, before Marly crossed her arms and stared him down, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“You _knead_ to get some better jokes, Adrien.”  She said.  Now it was Adrien's turn to be stunned in silence.  “Oh please, you think you're the only one with _crumby_ jokes?”  She smiled at him.

His eyes lit up with excitement.  “Oh come on!  I was on a _roll_!”

“A roll, huh?  You weren't getting a _rise_ out of me!”  Marly was presenting him with a challenge that he couldn't refuse.

Meanwhile, Alya and Nino were conflicted.  Should they groan, laugh, or roll their eyes?  Perhaps all three?

Adrien's eyes sparkled their natural green, seemingly lit from within from joy.  Marinette's normally blue eyes, on the other hand, looked even greener.  

Yes, Marinette was jealous.  Why?  She wasn't sure she could say.  Yes, she loved Adrien, and she liked Marly.  Her goal was to help Adrien make friends, because she understood more than anyone did that he needed them.  She was happy to see him letting out his goofy side with others.  She did secretly like his puns, but refused to let such humor fall from her own lips.  So why was she jealous?

_It's because I want to banter and flirt with him like that.  Not as Ladybug, as Marinette.  I wish I could just spit out puns so easily, so he and I could laugh like that.  This morning was funny, if not a little mortifying.  I want to bring out that look of happiness in his eyes._

She had come to terms with being in love with Adrien, and also with him being Chat.  She was still struggling to accept that he would never love her, not as Marinette.  She wanted to be the reason he smiled so happily, but how could plain old Marinette do that?

Alya could see the storm brewing over Marinette, and leaned over, nudging her with her shoulder.  Marinette kept her face low, but looked at her friend.  Alya gave her a look, one that said “Everything Okay?”

Marinette nodded.  Then shrugged.  Then she shook her head.

Alya raised an eyebrow at her.

Marinette glanced and nodded in the direction of Marly and Adrien, still bantering back and forth.  Alya understood her meaning, and gave a long nod.  So she nudged Marinette again, and gestured with her hand. _If you're jealous, get in there!_

Marinette pondered for a moment. Finally, she squared her shoulders, and took a deep breath in.

“That was your _yeast_ funny pun yet!” Marly teased.

“Oh, you think so?   _Butter_ get _bready_ for my next one then!” He retorted.

Marinette saw her chance.

“I should put both your punning asses under _Agreste_ for those absolutely criminal jokes!  Those are wea- _puns_ _Tho-mass_ destruction!”  She exclaimed, hands on her hips.

The punners in question looked at Marinette, eyes wide.  Even Alya and Nino stared wide eyed.

Beat.

Adrien and Marly burst out into laughter simultaneously.  Alya and Nino even laughed at this.  Marinette had a moment of deja vu as she watched Adrien fall over, clutching his stomach, only this time, Marly joined him.

Once he mostly composed himself, he got up and walked over to Alya and whispered something in her ear.  She seemed confused, but started digging in her bag.  She handed him a black item.  It was the cat ears and mask from her Chat Noir costume.

Adrien took it and turned around to face Marinette.  He hoisted the hairband up in the air.  “Today, ladies and gentlemen, we coronate the Princess of Puns!  Her crown, so painstakingly made by her royal subjects,” He nodded to Marly, “symbolizes the former Pun Purrince, Chat Noir, but alas, he has lost his title to the fair Princess Marinette!  I am sure that wherever he is,” He said with a wink to Marinette, “he is honoured to have been dethroned by such a worthy person!”  He gently placed the item on a rather flushed Marinette.  He stepped back and bowed with a flourish, the rest of the gang chuckling at his theatrics.  As he stood back up he looked at Marinette, his wide grin dropping a little as he took in the sight.

He saw the sun shining in her raven hair, the flush on her cheeks, partially hidden by the mask. The contrast of the black leather against her pale skin and sparkling bluebell eyes took his breath away.  

 _Oh._ He thought.

Alya clapped Marinette on the shoulder.  “Damn girl!  Normally, I'd say there's no such thing as a good pun, but _damn!_ You earned that crown!  And I will also add, you rock that mask too! Maybe even better than I did!”  She grinned.

_OH._

Oblivious to the rest of the conversation, Adrien struggled to make coherent thoughts.

“I don't know, Alya.  You looked pretty damn fine in that mask to me!” Marly said, winking at her.

_Is that...?_

Alya seemed a little surprised at the flirting, but before she could reply, Nino stepped in between them, and turned to Alya.  “A-Alya, did I tell you how hot you look in that c-cat suit?  Total babe! Super babe!  In fact, didn't you post about there being a Ladybug convention soon?  We could go together, I'll wear the Ladybug suit, and we can match!”  He seemed really nervous and wasn't making a lot of eye contact, but he clearly seemed to be pushing Marly away a little bit.  Alya wondered if he was feeling territorial, but he was asking her on a date, so she wasn't going to complain.

_...For Marinette?_

“That sounds like a great idea, Nino!”  Alya smiled at him.

At this point in time, Adrien was catatonic, he moved and seemed to be paying attention, but his thought process could more or less be summed up with _“!!!!!”._

“Yeah, super smooth, DJ!” Marly piped up.  “I bet you'd be really cute as Ladybug too, I bet it would show off all your... ahem... _assets.”_ Nino's dark skin made it tricky to see, but he blushed.  Alya's grin got wider as she unashamedly checked the boy out, making him even redder.  

_H-how? WHEN?!_

The bell rang and the group started heading back for classes.  Adrien dragged behind a little, still lost in thought.  As he entered the classroom, he watched Marinette sit in her seat.  Once settled, she looked up  at him and gave him a bright, happy grin.  If he had any doubts, they were squashed at the sight of her smiling brightly at him.

_I.. I think I’m love with Marinette._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU THINK?! Oh, Adrien, what am I going to do with you?
> 
> Idjit.
> 
> So there’s chapter 5 for you! In which Marinette struggles with the canonical years of bullying impacting her self-esteem, Marly gets her flirt on, DJWIFI gets a kickstart, and Cat Son catches up on his punning habit, plus he catches The Feels™
> 
> It might be a while before I get chapter 6 up, I work the next few evenings and I have a camping trip this weekend, and I don’t know my new schedule yet. I will do my best as always to get it up ASAP though!
> 
> Also, as always, #feedadrien2k4evr
> 
> Pretty sure Cat Son will bulk up and turn those carbs into muscle pretty quick if I keep feeding him like this.
> 
> Up next: Probably some lengthy conversations with Kwami’s, a Ladynoir patrol, and maybe even some Marichat alone time, if I can come up with reasons ;)
> 
> I read tags, messages, my askbox is open! I want to know your thoughts!
> 
> Redfox out! ;)


	6. Heart Strings Are Tangled Yarns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which convos with Kwamis happen, as does patrol, and pain. Pain all day.

Chapter 6

 

Adrien arrived home after a blur of an afternoon. Nathalie noted that he was unusually quiet, but made no mention. The boy wasn't known for confiding in her, so she doubted it would do any good. He made his way to his room, his path purely out of habit rather than conscious decision. He thanked the universe that he had no photoshoots that afternoon-- he was not nearly alert enough to survive hours of clothing changes and holding poses.

 

As he entered his room, he handed Plagg a wheel of cheese and sat down hard in his desk chair, spinning around and scooting a few feet. The presence of a certain blue-eyed beauty behind him had his attention all afternoon. It took all of his willpower not to turn around and marvel at her, and he wished desperately that he could trade seats with her. Then he could stare without drawing a lot of attention to himself.

 

His notes for the afternoon were pretty much non-existent. If he had any artistic skill, the pages would probably have been covered in doodles of pigtails and sparkling eyes. As it was, it was covered in poetry, and some note progressions for a song.

 

He considered asking Alya for her notes, but knew that would only lead to more questions. Nino never took them, so that was out too. The thought of asking Marinette for notes turned his cheeks red. Getting to see how she wrote, if she was a doodler (she probably was), and what she might draw in the margins... no, even asking her for her notes was out of the question right now. He decided asking Sabrina for a copy of hers, they were usually impeccable. She liked helping, and rarely asked questions, too.

 

Which led him back to the reason he needed notes in the first place.

 

_Marinette._

 

He lost himself for a few minutes, marveling. Marinette, the girl who could barely speak to him a week ago, had squeezed her way into his heart in such a short time. Of course, Ladybug had done the same in just over 24 hours, so he knew he had a track record of falling in love easily, but he still found it ridiculous.

 

_I think I have a type._ He sighed. _Am I really that predictable? Black haired, blue eyed, brave, compassionate, clever--_

 

His musing over the similarities of the two girls was interrupted by a flying black cat.

 

“You're staring off in space a lot. What'cha thinking about?” Plagg flew into Adrien's face, drawling out his question, effectively ending the train of thought.

 

“Well, uh, Marinette, actually.” His cheeks reddened. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

 

Plaggs grin was comically wide. “Oooooohhh Loverboy's got the hots for the baker's daughter!”

 

“Nooo! I mean yes! I mean-- I told you not to call her that!” Plagg cackled at his reaction. Adrien put his head in his hands. “Plagg... I think I'm in love with her. She's just so amazing, she's so creative and she's been so kind to me... but I love Ladybug! Can I even be in love with two people at once?” He looked up to his kwami, hoping for one of those rare moments where Plagg bestows actually useful advice.

 

“Love's complicated, kid. This is why I stick to cheese. It's either good cheese or bad cheese, and it only becomes bad if you don't store it right.” Adrien rolled his eyes, he should have expected as much. The kwami continued on regardless. “I don't think it's impossible to love multiple people. After all, I love all sorts of cheeses.”

 

Despite making a mental note to look up the signs of addiction for his kwami later, he was comforted by the weird analogy. He still felt like he was betraying Ladybug, but it wasn't like she had ever returned his affections anyways. He knew his love for her was unrequited, but he didn't hold it against her.

 

He knew her well, probably better than a lot of people did, but he didn't know the superficial things. Like her real name. If she had any nicknames she preferred. Her favourite animal. When her birthday was. If she had siblings. What her dream job was. He could ask, but Ladybug had a history of avoiding personal questions, especially pertaining to who she was under the mask.

 

He sighed, defeated. He wanted to trust that she would eventually tell him of her own volition, but his curiosity ate at him.

 

“Plagg, do you ever think Ladybug will tell me who she is?” He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

 

“Heh. Knowing that girl, you have a better chance of finding out on your own.” Plagg chuckled.

 

“Wait, you think I could actually do it?” He looked at his kwami, who plopped himself onto the bed.

 

“Kid, that was sarcasm.” The little cat crossed his arms. “You won't be able to find out who she is on your own.”

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Meanwhile, in a very pink bedroom, a similar conversation was occuring.

 

“Tikki, what if Adrien finds out who I am? He keeps mentioning how much like Ladybug Marly is, and it's not a stretch to find the similarities between me and Marly! He can't know yet! I'm not ready! I hate feeling like such a chicken, but I can't help it! What if he finds out and he's disappointed? Or if our relationship gets super awkward afterwards?”

 

“Marinette, relax! He won't be able to figure it out. I told you, he can only find out if you want him to!”

 

“That doesn't make sense though! He would just have to follow me and watch me change back and BOOM! My secrets out!”

 

“Marinette, I mean that the magic literally prevents it.”

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Adrien crossed his arms and glared. “Are you implying that I can't figure it out because I'm stupid or something?”

 

“Oblivious would be the word I would go for,” Adrien's eyes were shooting daggers, but Plagg was unbothered, “but no. The magic of the miraculous, especially the powers regarding luck that you two have, make it impossible to find each other out unless you want to be discovered. She doesn't want to be found so badly, that you can't even make the mental connections between her and her civilian self. It's actually hilarious to watch. You keep floundering all over the place, just missing her. You two have probably given the magic it's greatest test yet.”

 

“Wait... does that mean you know who she is?” The kwami nodded. “Then why can't you just tell me who she is? Skip all this magic stuff?”

 

“While I am not affected in the sense that I discovered who she was a long time ago, I can't help you out in that department. If I tried to tell you, the magic would stop me.”

 

“Just tell me, Plagg!”

 

“Don't believe me, huh? Fine. Ladybug's real identity is --” Plagg started coughing and spluttering. It took him a full minute and a half to stop--Adrien started counting after the first 20 seconds or so, once he believed Plagg wasn't faking it.

 

Weakly, Plagg looked up to his charge. “See? I can't even get a syllable out. She REALLY doesn't want anyone to know.”

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“But Tikki, Alya guessed at Adrien being Chat already! How could she have made that assumption if the magic was preventing our discovery?”

 

“The magic works in roundabout ways most of the time. Adrien was cautious about his identity, but he didn't cling to that secret nearly as hard as you are. So the magic wasn't as strong. It was still effective though, it used you to deter her. Remember how you reacted when Alya told you?”

 

“Yeah, I brushed her off like she was crazy. So you're saying... the magic used me to hide him, even though I didn't know at the time?”

 

“Exactly. You aren't very careful about hiding yourself when you transform, so you really push the magic too! I imagine there has been a lot of co-incidental burning dinners, phone calls, and things like that, that distracted anyone who was looking when you went to transform or de-transform. Lots of people who saw Ladybug one second, looked away for a moment, and she had disappeared when they turned back! It's really sneaky like that.” She giggled.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“There was even the time she ducked into a closet and you decided not to peek! That was as direct as I've seen it get! It made you decide not to peek!” Plagg was on the verge of rolling around laughing, but Adrien was lost in his own thoughts.

 

“So... Marinette only found out because I had to let her know... I can't figure out who Ladybug is unless she lets me know?”

 

“Yeah. Makes for some funny moments, pushing your luck and seeing how it protects you.”

 

“What if Marinette were to tell someone about me? Would the magic protect me then?” Adrien asked.

 

“What, afraid your girlfriend's gonna rat you out to that reporter girl?”

 

“No! Marinette would never do that! A-and she's not my girlfriend! I'm just asking about a hypothetical scenario here.”

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“It has happened a few times in the past where someone who a previous Chat Noir or Ladybug trusted learned the truth, and tried to sell them out.” Tikki told her charge. “Usually some unlucky event would happen, blocking the words from coming out of their mouths. It would get worse too, the more they tried. The first few tries were mildly unlucky things, like walking into something, hard enough to change the conversation topic. As it goes on though, it turned into worse things--like nearly getting hit by an out-of-control carriage when they tried to tell. One particularly slimy person caused an earthquake, they were so determined to reveal the secret.” Tikki shuddered.

 

“Woah! An earthquake? Did anyone get hurt?” Marinette stared in shock.

 

“Only one. It must have become clear that that person had every intention of telling the secret, because they died that day. Swallowed up into a fissure that opened up below them. It was scary. Ladybug and Chat Noir had their hands full that day on repairs and rescues. Plagg and I have been vigilant in making our heroes keep their secrets much more carefully since. We don't want to repeat any of that. The Ladybug of the time was heartbroken, the person was supposed to have been their best friend. Turns out they were a no-account-troublesome-sleazy--” The kwami too a deep hard breath and sighed. “Anyway, you get the point.”

 

Tikki went quiet, lost in the memories of that time. An alarm buzzed in Marinette's phone, and she reached over to turn it off.

 

“Tikki? It's time to go patrol. You okay?” The kwami nodded in response, and flew into her earrings as the girl called for her transformation.

 

Suited up, Ladybug headed to Notre Dame Cathedral, their usual meeting spot.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Chat Noir leapt from the window of the bedroom of Adrien Agreste, realizing that maybe the reason the security cameras have had to be replaced multiple times is because a certain leather-clad hero sneaks past them regularly. Did the Miraculous Magic break the cameras to keep his secret? He pondered on the possibilities as he meandered to the cathedral. He wondered if Ladybug had ever had weird things like that happen in order to keep her secret.

 

As he approached the cathedral, he could already see Ladybug was there, standing on the roof. He took a roundabout route and snuck up behind her as quietly as he could, even in his steel-toe boots. He couldn't believe his luck-- he was 5 feet behind her and Ladybug didn't seem to notice his presence yet. So he sprung. He jumped and grabbed her around her torso, letting out a hoot of laughter. Said laughter died quickly, when she used his momentum to propel him over her head and force him onto his back, while she jumped clear of him.

 

_Ow. Okay, I deserved that one._ He thought as he groaned in pain. He opened his eyes to his partner, arms crossed, eye brow raised, and judging by the sound, foot tapping as she leaned over him.

 

“My Lady, have I ever mentioned how purrrfectly beautiful you are from this angle?” He grinned his signature smirk. Ladybug, eyes wide, blushed deeply, and quickly backed up a few steps. Chat got up and dusted himself off, wondering why Ladybug was blushing. Normally his flirtations, even his grandiose ones, just got eye rolls and witty replies. It wasn't often that her skin matched her suit.

 

“Is something _bugging_ you my Lady? Ah, have I finally made you pawsitively fall for me?” he said, winking. _C'mon Ladybug, you hate when I pun. Take the bait. If you don't start sassing me I'm going to have to assume you aren't okay. I don't like it when you aren't okay._

 

She hesitated, he could see the emotions warring on her face. Tell the truth? Sass him? What's it going to be?

 

“Y-you just remind me a lot of someone I got to know recently in my civilian life. I can't help but picture him saying what you are saying and it's weirding me out a bit, that's all.”

 

“Ah, do I have competition?” The spark of jealousy was undeniable, but he kept the tone light.

 

His comment earned him an eye roll and a groan, and he quietly sighed in relief. That was more like his Ladybug.

 

“No, you don't kitty. You were never even in the race to start with.” She ended her statement with a smirk.

 

“Meowch! If the competition is so steep, puurrhaps I must up my game? Tell me, what are your favourite flowers? Or maybe Marinette and I will bake some treats for you instead?” She stepped back slightly, and jumped when he said her name. He was walking towards her, putting on his best swagger and smoldering smile.

 

“Marinette?” She stumbled back slightly. “Y-you mean that girl who helped you with the Evillustrator? Are you friends with her?” She realized the two had never gotten around to talking about her civilian self knowing the truth. He had the same realization dawn on him.

 

“Ahhh... about that.” His posture immediately changed from prowling to upright and stiff. “Yeah, um... Marinette and my civilian self... we uh, got stuck in a dollhouse together during the last akuma attack. We couldn't get out, so I had no choice but to bust out with Cataclysm. S-so I did. That was what I meant to talk to you about before.”

 

“She saw, didn't she?” Marinette hated lying to him, but she kept playing dumb. She had her secret to keep too.

 

“I told her, more like. There was only one room, there was no way I could keep the secret and also have helped you with the battle.” He curled in on himself, and looked a little like a puppy, despite the cat ears.

 

Marinette knew she had to scold him. Ladybug would, because she isn't supposed to have insider knowledge. But seeing the look on his face nearly broke her resolve.

 

“Chat, you need to be more careful! What if Marinette tries to tell? My kwami told me bad things happen when someone tries to spill our secret identities--”

 

“My Lady I swear, you don't need to worry! Marinette isn't like that! She is one of the most honest and kind and selfless people I have ever met. I was a little nervous about her knowing at first too, but I've spent time with her a lot lately, and I trust her, I really do. She knows that her knowing my identity puts all of us at risk. She won't tell.”

 

She looked like she was going to contest something he said, so he interrupted her before she could.

 

“My Lady, do you trust me?”

 

“...Of course.”

 

“Then trust my judgment of her character. She's a good person. She won't cause problems for us.”

 

“...Okay, Chat. If you say so.” Internally, she was moved by his trust in her. She knew he was very trusting, but somehow she never pictured it extending to include all of her. Especially when she lied to his face regularly.

 

He visibly relaxed at her words, though. She decided he had been reprimanded enough and understood the severity of what had happened. They had both been very lucky that it had been none other than her own civilian self that he had told, even if he was in the dark about that particular detail. There were much worse options that could have happened.

 

“Thanks, Ladybug.”

 

The two should have left for patrol at this point, but they were both reluctant to move, so instead they settled on the edge of the roof, feet dangling. They sat for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the relative peace of the city.

 

“This might seem like a stupid question,” Chat began, “but does anyone know who you are? Anyone you told?”

 

“No, nobody. Not even my parents or my closest friends.” She crossed her arms. She used to consider telling Chat-- someone she assumed was another random citizen-- but how much had changed in such a short time. Now she wasn't sure if she could summon the courage.

 

“Do you think you would ever tell anyone?”

 

“... I don't know. I've considered it, but there are just a lot of consequences if it goes wrong, too many things we can't predict about it. I don't want to put anyone in danger. Besides, anyone I told would probably think I'm lying.”

 

“Why do you say that?” He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

 

“Hate to break it to you, Kitty, but 'Ladybug' is an act. The girl under the mask is very different from the hero everyone sees. I'm awkward and clumsy, impulsive, and hypocritical as hell. I hate liars, and here I am, lying to everyone around me daily.”

 

“Well, you aren't the only hypocrite in this duo, for one. I hate lying too, but it's part of the job. We kind of have to. I suspect, though, that you aren't so different from Ladybug as you think.”

 

“And how could you possibly know that?”

 

“Well, from personal experience. As Chat, I get to be free, I get to be the flirty, playful cat you love so much.” he said with a wink. She rolled her eyes at him, but her mask hid the blush that came with it. “I get to joke around and be whoever I want. But regular me is actually kind of quiet, and heavily disciplined. There are people in my life who expect me to be the perfect son at all times, and it's stifling. I think who I am falls somewhere in the middle. Maybe not as outgoing and silly as Chat, but definitely not as serious as my civilian self.”

 

She pondered over his words. Yes, she could definitely see what he was saying in terms of his own identities.

 

“I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think Ladybug is the person you want to be, the person you choose to be when your normal life isn't in the way. She's still a part of you, maybe some of the best parts, but that doesn't mean those parts don't exist when you are your civilian self. I think they're there, even if they're buried a little bit.” He put his hand on her shoulder. Too scared to say it out loud, he mentally added, _I don't think the girl I fell in love with just disappears when the mask comes off. She is in there somewhere. I wish you could see her, because she's beautiful._

 

Ladybug was touched by his words, and leaned in to hug him.

 

“Thanks, Chat. You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for, you know that?” She didn't like that she had to use the word 'friend' to describe their relationship, but it was the best she could come up with.

 

He didn't like that she used the word friend either, but he had feelings for another dark haired girl to sort out first before he tried changing that.

 

She broke off the hug, and sighed.

 

“Since we are friends and all... can I ask for some advice?” He asked.

 

“What's up kitty?”

 

He hesitated. Should he really ask for advice about loving two people at once, when he would be asking one of those people? He gathered up his resolve.

 

“Do you... think it's possible to love two people at once?”

 

“You mean romantically?”

 

“Yeah. One of them I've known for a while and I've been in love with her since I met her.” The crimson blush on his cheeks should have been a dead giveaway, but Ladybug didn't seem to be skeptical of it. “But I think I'm in love with someone else, someone I recently got to know. Am I a bad person? Does it mean that I don't really love one of them?”

 

Marinette tried to figure out who it was. Really, it could be anyone. It could be someone he knew from modeling, it could be a classmate. She _really_ hoped the former wasn't Chloé. She wondered (hoped) that she was one of them, but found it rather doubtful. Instead, one name popped into her head. _Marly._

He had been paying an awful lot of attention to her, and they got on like a house on fire. The more the thought of it, the more she was convinced that the “new friend” he loved was Marly.

 

As much as that thought worried her, she knew giving him bad advice was not going to make this situation better. She curled up and wrapped her arms around her knees.

 

“I don't think you're a bad person for loving multiple people at once. For one, there's all different kinds of love. Some platonic, some familial, some brotherly, and some romantic. None of them are any better or worse than any other, they're just different. We can love our best friends and parents and partners at the same time, and love multiple friends and family members, so why not partners too? Some people love and trust easily, and some are more cautious.” She paused, and turned to look at him. “Chat, if there is one thing I have learned about you, it's that you wear your heart on your sleeve. It doesn't surprise me at all that you may have fallen in love with two people at once. You have a lot of love to give. It can be hard, though, I know. Been there, done that. Especially when you aren't sure if either of them love you back at all.” She sighed. “I don't know who these people are, but they'd be fools not to love you, you know.”

 

He blushed deeply, and scratched the back of his neck. The nervous chuckle he let out told Ladybug that he was flattered, and probably embarrassed.

 

“My Lady, you're too kind. And uh... well, I don't know how things have gone-- or are going-- with those people you love, but...” It hurt him, his heart ached, but he said it anyways “...I think the same thing. They'd be fools not to love you, Ladybug. I bet if you asked them out, they'd say yes. You're the cat's meow, don't you know?” He said with a wink. He couldn't not flirt with her, the conversation was too deep, to real-- if he didn't add some levity he might break.

 

She giggled and rolled her eyes. _Oh, Chaton. If only you knew._ “I doubt it. I've heard them admit they love other people.” His face fell at the admission, and she was immediately sorry for making that comment. She was beginning to dislike this topic of conversation. Her heart was aching, and she knew the tears weren't far off. Time to change the subject. She didn't need her secret love(s) comforting her that she couldn't get with said secret love(s).

 

After a few moments of silence, she had diversion. “Do you struggle? With living two lives, I mean.” She asked him.

 

Chat internally sighed in relief. The subject matter was breaking his heart. He realized how lowly his Lady saw herself, and his heart ached. She knew what he was going through, and worse, she knew the ones she loved didn't love her back. He still had a shred of hope for his that maybe one of them did. He was beginning to think Ladybug didn't, but he still might have a chance with Marinette.

 

“I do, yeah. It's easier, now that Marinette knows. I don't have to hide, or lie to her. I didn't realize how on edge I was all the time, even with my other friends, until she knew, and I didn't have to pretend anymore. I can treat it like an inside joke, instead of a secret. I know I shouldn't, but I actually really like that she knows the truth.” He answered.

 

Marinette was feeling very uncomfortable. There was something eating at her, she was having trouble naming it, but it was there. She needed to get away from this situation. The conversation kept veering into their secret pains, and she needed an out. She was afraid to deal with it. She stood up, perhaps a little quickly.

 

“We should patrol. We've been sitting here dawdling, and our city needs us. Let's go. I'll take the east half and meet you here again in half an hour.” Before Chat could respond-- hell, he was still in the process of standing-- she took off, launching her yo-yo, and swinging away.

 

As she reached the next rooftop, she looked back at her partner, standing awkwardly, his reflective green eyes following her.

 

She ripped her eyes from his form, and turned, launching away again.

 

She finally found the name for the emotion that was eating at her. Guilt. That was it.

 

_He deserves better than someone who lies to him all the time._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a reason for the obliviousness. MAGIC!
> 
> Also, I like to believe that Plagg pushes the boundaries of the magic at every opportunity, like suggesting Adrien peeks in the closet during that one episode. 
> 
> I like making these two idjits dance circles around each other. It's fun!


	7. Rom-coms for everybody!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which your dear author says "Where the fuck did all this fluff come from?! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ANGST!"
> 
> Sorry the update took so long! Worked 6 days in a row, then caught a cold! Yuck! Still recovering right now, but its 11pm and I was nearly done anyways.
> 
> For all my Canadian readers, happy Thanksgiving weekend! 
> 
> Enjoy!

**_Still Thursday Night_ **

 

Marinette thanked her lucky stars that Paris was quiet for the night. She swung from chimneys and vaulted over roofs, and was deep in thought.

 

_Adrien deserves to know the truth. He deserves better than someone who keeps lying to his face. All I would have to do is drop my transformation in front of him. He'd be happy, right? He's been pestering for my identity for ages, and I know he considers both halves of me as his friend, if nothing else. He might get mad that I kept this from him, but he would come around, he isn't exactly the type to hold grudges. I don't know what I'm so afraid of! Get a grip Marinette! I trust him, and I trust he will accept all of me if I give him a chance._

 

She was giving herself and pep talk, and she worked up her resolve to tell him the truth. She was tired of lying, tired of feeling guilty, tired of keeping this secret. Her desire for him to know was starting to overpower her desire to keep it a secret.

 

By the time she finished patrolling her half of the city, she had pumped herself up, and as she landed back on Notre Dame, she kept her eyes peeled for his approach. She was going to tell him tonight!

 

A few minutes passed as she kept scanning the cityscape before her. Finally, she spotted him bounding over to where she was perched. He was still two buildings away, but he saw her and waved, picking up the pace.

 

Just as he landed on the next roof, a scream echoed through the night.

 

He stopped, standing on a rooftop, and both stared at each other for a moment before another scream ripped through the air. It came from a dozen or so blocks away, so both of them sprung into action, heading towards the noise.

 

 _Why do akumas keep interrupting my confessions? Is this going to be a regular thing?_ Ladybug grumbled.

 

The two heroes arrived on the scene and scoped it out before launching themselves in. The akuma had their back to them, and seemed to be leaning it's large form over someone. They couldn't see who it was from where they stood. His outfit featured a trench coat and a deerstalker hat. His hands waved around a bit and they saw an old fashioned smoking pipe in one.

 

“Wait... I know you!” Said the akuma, “You're that girl, the one with the blog!” He cackled loudly, and began pacing. His movements revealed Alya, tied to a chair. If the chair in the middle of the street wasn't out of place, then the desk between her and the akuma, with the bright lamp in her face definitely was. She was fighting the ropes, but didn't seem to be getting anywhere. “The Ladyblogger, yes? How wonderfully convenient for me! If anyone in Paris knows the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir, it would be you? Surely a devoted fan such as yourself will have figured it out by now? Hmm?” He leaned towards her, one hand on the table between them, the other holding his pipe to his lips.

 

“Yeah, like I'd tell you anything!” Alya spat in his face. He sneered as he wiped his face. On the one hand, Marinette was proud, on the other, she wanted to scream at her friend for provoking him.

 

“Oh you'll talk, one way or another, I promise you that.” He snapped his fingers, and her chair rose into the air, and turned until she was hanging horizontally several feet above the ground. He blew smoke from his pipe and it floated in a cloud over her head, materializing into a rain cloud that began dumping water onto her face. The heroes sprung into action.

 

Ladybug swooped in and grabbed Alya and the chair she was strapped to.

 

Before the akuma could chase after her, Chat Noir intercepted.

 

“Water torture is pretty intense, don't you think? And on a minor, no less. It's against the law to torture people, and to interrogate minors without a lawyer or parent present. Time to get a clue, detective!” He taunted, leaping over the akuma and striking a pose on his landing.

 

His taunts had the desired effect, and Chat led him away from Ladybug and Alya. The two girls were tucked away on a rooftop a few blocks over. Ladybug untied her friend, who had finally stopped coughing and spluttering.

 

“Alya, are you okay? What were you even doing out this late? It's almost midnight! You need to be more careful!”

 

The reporter chuckled quietly. “I was following you guys. I know your patrol nights, though your routes still elude me, and you must have just missed his akumatization, because one second I'm watching you fly overhead, and I'm running down the block to catch up, and the next there's screaming from behind me. I was debating whether to hide, go find you, or get some footage of the akuma when all of a sudden I was strapped to this chair.”

 

Ladybug made a mental note to change their patrol nights around.

 

“I wish you weren't so casual about this, you could have been seriously hurt! He was trying to drown you!” Her tone came off a little sharp, so she took a breath and tried more calmly. “Please, just stay out of sight. I don't like how you follow us around and put yourself at risk. Akumas are going to assume you know something, and this won't be the only one to try and torture the information from you. Please, for all of our sake, keep your distance. Chat Noir and I can take the hits, but if akumas start taking hostages...”

 

She couldn't finish the thought. She was overwhelmed with her fear for her friend. Reality came crashing down on her as she realized civilian-Marinette was also a liability for Chat, since she knew his truth. If she were ever caught or taken over, she would put him in a lot of danger, and it could cause a lot more damage.

 

And Chat...

 

He was taken over by akumas _all the time._ If he knew her identity, he could hand that information over at any time, simply because of bad luck, or because he was defending her.

 

She snapped back to reality. She would deal with this later. Right now, Paris needed her.

 

Alya seemed to realize what she was saying. She nodded. “I'm sorry Ladybug, I didn't see it that way. I'll work harder to stay out of harms way. I'm sorry I worried you.”

 

“I'm glad. Now, I have an akuma to purify. Think you can make it home on your own?” Alya smiled and nodded.

 

“Kick butt, Ladybug!”

 

The heroine swung back toward the fray, only to see the akuma chasing Chat with the rain cloud he had been trying to drown Alya with. Chat's hair was hanging limply over his head, and every few seconds the boy was brushing water and hair out of his eyes.

 

“Lucky Charm!” She called, throwing her yo-yo upwards, and catching the spotted item that came down with a grunt. It was _heavy._ It was an industrial size fan.

 

She grinned as she knew exactly what this was for right away. _One problem though._ She looked at the cord. _It needs to be plugged in._

 

She frantically searched the area, looking for a place to plug it in. She found one in the entrance to an office building, luckily unlocked. She propped the door open, plugged it in, and aimed the fan towards the akuma.

 

“Here Kitty, Kitty!” She called, teasing him. At first he was a little surprised, but as soon as he saw the red and black fan, he understood and booked it as fast as he could towards it. She flicked the on switch and threw her yo-yo, grappling onto a street lamp and swinging towards the akuma.

 

When Chat Noir got close to the fan, he stood himself in front of the blasting wind, and waiting for the cloud to catch up. When it got close, the fan blew the smoke cloud back, straight for the detective. “No more raining on my parade!” He shouted with glee. Ladybug got herself into position. She had two guesses as to where the akuma was. It was either his hat, or the pipe. So she had to grab both when her moment came, just in case.

 

When the smoke cloud, still spouting water at full force, was situated over the detectives head, he instinctively covered his head with his hands. The pipe was now drenched, and as it stopped spewing smoke, the rain cloud began to dissipate too. _Damn. His hands are in the way, I won't be able to grab the hat. Please be the pipe._

 

Ladybug jumped into action, flipping over his head and grabbing the pipe. As she made her landing, she threw the item hard at the ground, shattering it.

 

A heartbeat passed.

 

Was the akuma in the hat after all?

 

The black butterfly emerged finally, and began to fly off. She caught it with her yo-yo and called her magic words. The city was cleansed and the white butterfly she released flew away.

 

Her earrings had already lost a spot by this point, so she hastily bid Chat Noir adieu, and swung towards home. She knew he was plenty capable of helping the man. She couldn't risk having to sneak past her parents at this hour. Despite being up before dawn most days, her mom had keen ears and slept light. She needed to enter through her balcony to avoid being caught.

 

It was far too close for her comfort, her transformation wearing off just before her feet touched down on the balcony. She landed quietly and ducked low, opening her balcony with utmost caution. No squeaks came forth, and she sighed in relief. The oil she had applied a few days ago had done it's job.

 

She collapsed on her bed once she was in, Tikki slowly hovering over to the jar stashed in secret in the corner, filled with cookies. Now she had a different problem to wrestle with-- that of how knowing each other's identities could cause way more problems than it solved.

 

“Tikki, do you think I should tell Adrien who I am? He deserves to know the truth, and I feel awful for lying to him all the time, but is it safe? What if one of us falls under an akuma's control? What if we tell Hawkmoth the other's identity?” She stared at the sky through her skylight.

 

“Marinette, you worry too much.” The kwami said between bites of cookies. “The magic will prevent you from telling, remember? And besides, if you two know each other's identities, you'll hang out more and become closer. You'll grow, and you'll become stronger heroes for it. Trust me, I've seen it happen lots.”

 

The girl considered her Kwami's words, but still she found herself worrying. _Tikki's been through this before, she knows what she's talking about._

 

She continued to consider the pros and cons of telling him the truth. She realized she _wanted_ him to know. So how should she tell him? She was very close to having told him tonight, as Ladybug. But she would have more opportunities as Marinette, who saw him in class everyday.

 

Would she even be able to get the words out? Would he believe her without her having to risk transforming in school? _I can't tell him at school, that's for sure. Alya catches one whiff of me and Adrien wandering off, and she will be on me like a fly on honey._

 

_Telling him as Ladybug during a patrol night though... I could do that. He would listen for sure. And as long as we are out of sight, it won't be a big deal to drop the mask for a few minutes._

 

She made her decision. He deserved the truth, and telling him as Ladybug would probably be easiest.

 

She went to sleep, praying to her lucky stars that things would go well.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

_**Saturday Afternoon** _

 

“Alya, where are you?” Marinette said, holding her cellphone up to her ear. “I'm outside the movie theater, y'know, where we planned to meet 30 minutes ago? What's the hold up?”

 

She had checked the Ladyblog to see if there were any updates that maybe had delayed her friend, but nothing had been posted since the other night. Alya had made a post regarding her discontinued interest in finding out the secret identities of the heroes, and respecting that not only was it for their privacy, but for the safety of them, their families, and herself and her loved ones. She then went on to warn citizens to steer clear of akuma battles, to avoid hostage situations.

 

While Marinette was very glad for this change, it didn't explain why her friend was so late.

 

“ _OHMYGOSH Mari I am SOOO sorry!”_ Marinette had to pull the phone away from her ear, Alya could be really loud sometimes. _“I totally spaced, girl! I ran into Marly while running some errands for my mom, and we've been hanging out. My mom got called in to work though, something about a last minute reservation for a party? So Marly is helping me wrangle the little monsters while she's gone. Can we reschedule for another day? Maybe next weekend?”_

 

“Yeah, fine. I'll have to look at my schedule.” She knew she was busy next weekend. “I gotta go, talk to you later. Bye.” She sighed dejectedly. She knew hanging up like she did- not waiting for a response- was rude. She knew it would make Alya feel bad, and it was passive aggressive, but she didn't really care at the moment. She would apologize later.

 

 _Ditched for Marly. Great._ She honestly was trying to like Marly, but the girl seemed to be squeezing into and simultaneously pushing her out of her circle of friends and it was starting to bug her.

 

Marinette was about to begin the trek home, when her phone started ringing. _Alya, I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood. Let it go for now, please._ She looked at the number, surprised, and answered it.

 

“Hey, Adrien!”

 

“ _Hey, Marinette! Are you busy today?”_

 

“Well, Alya bailed on me, so I am officially free now. Why, what's up?”

 

“ _I'm dodging a party that Chloé's throwing for some foreign celebrity who's staying at the hotel. Nino's busy, and I need to make myself scarce or she's probably going to force me to be her arm candy. Do you want to hang out? I can watch you sew all day long for all I care, I just can't be at home or near the hotel.”_

 

Marinette laughed. “I can't say no to a friend in need, can I? I even have an idea what we can do, something much better than watching me sew. Alya and I were going to hang out around town, but since she isn't coming, would you like to take her place and come with me?”

 

“ _That sounds like fun! It's a date! Uh! I-I mean-- um-- o-only if you want it to be! Cause it can be just two friends hanging out if that makes you uncomfor--”_

 

“Adrien!” She giggled, interrupting his ramble. “It's a date.” She heard his audible sigh in relief on the other end of the phone. She found it hilarious that they had somehow switched roles, him being the awkward stumbling mess instead. She was glad he had suggested it though. She liked that development.

 

“ _I-I can come by your home, and we can go from there, how does that sound?”_

 

“I'm not actually at home, I'm outside the movie theater. Alya and I planned on finishing off our evening here, so I bought the tickets already. You don't mind rom-coms, do you?”

 

“ _I feel like I should be embarrassed by the fact that I love rom-coms, but I'm really not. It sounds perfect! Which theater are you at? Stay put and I'll come meet you.”_ She gave him the address, and he estimated he would be there in around 20 minutes. She went over to a nearby news stand and purchased a magazine, sitting down on a bench outside the theater. She pretended to be reading it, but really, she was freaking out internally that she was going on a date with Adrien Agreste. She wasn't going to tell him about her identity today. It was only going to lead to some heavy conversations, and she wasn't interested in that, when she could go on a really spontaneous date instead.

 

Around 15 minutes later, he arrived, panting.

 

“That was fast, did you run all the way here?” She asked.

 

“No, just the last little stretch. Had to ditch my bodyguard. I really expected it would take longer, usually he puts up more of a fight.”

 

“Maybe he decided to take the afternoon off. He probably knows that you can't be caught unless you want to be.” She chuckled.

 

“That's true.” He shrugged, grinning. “So, what did you and Alya have planned for today?”

 

“There's a mall not to far away, so we were going to go wandering through there, grab some dinner, and then come see the movie. I-If that doesn't interest you, we can always find something else to do?”

 

“That... actually sounds like a lot of fun. My dad doesn't normally let me shop for my own clothes, he just gives me versions of all the pieces from his shows. I've never set foot in a mall before.”

 

“REALLY?! That settles that then, we are going to the mall!” She grinned, looped her arm in his and started marching towards the mall. Caught by surprise, he got dragged along for the first few steps, but soon enough he was laughing and doing a silly march to match hers.

 

 _Oh gosh..._ Marinette thought. _Imagine if I told him I was taking his mall virginity! That would be so funny! Knowing me though, I'd probably forget to add the word 'mall'. That would be so awkward!_

 

Little did she know, he was thinking the same thing.

 

Marinette had not been to this particular mall before, so the two stopped at a map and looked at all the options of places they could go, and made a point of noting where the food court was for later.

 

They wandered past store after store, both a little afraid to suggest going into any, in case the other wasn't interested. They were both feeling more and more awkward, until finally, Marinette saw a formal wear store, with beautiful dresses on mannequins lining the front window. She couldn't help herself as she saw one in particular, a sky blue A-line dress, with off-the-shoulder straps that practically had her drooling.

 

Adrien saw the awe in her eyes, and grabbed her hand, dragging her in. He found the section that had that dress, and gestured for her to proceed. She hesitantly reached towards it, but retracted at the last second.

 

“I-I shouldn't. If I start trying on dresses, you'll just get bored!”

 

“Marinette, I'm the one who dragged you inside, I have no problems with you trying on dresses. We _are_ in a mall, after all. I think you would look beautiful in it.”

 

She was flattered, but still hesitant. Knowing that they would keep being awkward if he didn't do something, he put on his best Chat-titude.

 

“Fine.” He said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “If you won't try it on, then I will!”

 

Marinette was shocked, but he was quickly picking through the rack, looking for a big enough size for him to squeeze into. Once he found a suitable size, he dashed into the back area, got a dressing room, and locked the door. She tried to stop him, but she was too slow.

 

“Adrien, is this really necessary? You don't have to try it on, I'll do it, okay? I'll go grab my size and try it on, just come out of there.” She was embarrassed that he was doing this, but she also found it hard not to grin and blush at the idea of him wearing a dress so she wouldn't feel awkward.

 

“Nope! It's too late Princess! You've really done it now!” The door opened and there he stood, wearing the dress. She wasn't sure how to feel, because on the one hand, he was wearing a dress, and the unusual clothing choice was startling and funny. On the other hand, he looked damn good. “I mean,” he continued. “I knew I could pull off a lot of clothes, but I never thought to add dresses to that list.” He started posing dramatically, going way over the top, some where he was flexing, some where he was smiling demurely with his ankles crossed. The straps over his biceps made it difficult to raise his hands over his head, but he worked around it. He spotted the accessories rack, and dove for it, grabbing a silver tiara to complete the look.

 

Marinette lost it. She was laughing, tears in her eyes as he continued posing for her. Finally, she went back to the rack and grabbed one in her size. Not saying a word, she ducked into the next change room over, and locked the door. A minute later, she came out, wearing the dress. Adrien had grabbed her a tiara too, and the two laughed at their matching outfits.

 

Marinette pulled out her phone, and they began doing more ridiculous poses, taking a dozen selfies as they goofed around.

 

Finally, a rather stern looking store clerk cleared her throat, her arms crossed and gave the two a disapproving look. Sheepishly, the two ducked back into their respective change rooms and came out in their normal clothes. Marinette thought about buying the dress, but the price tag heavily discouraged her. Instead, she bought the tiara, and decided to make her own version of the dress, and make it to match the accessory.

 

Their goofy behaviour was enough to break the ice, and soon the pair was ducking into every store and trying on all sorts of outfits, posing and joking around, at least until unimpressed store clerks gave them the boot. Adrien had found a really nice pair of sunglasses, something he had grabbed to match a leather jacket he had tried on, and Marinette found a cute pair of blue shoes to match the dress she was inspired to make.

 

The two were tired after all their fun, and parked themselves on a bench facing a fountain. They were just sitting, letting out the residual giggles each time they looked at each other and remembered all the silly things they did.

 

Then their stomachs growled.

 

Marinette glanced at her phone, checking the time. “Wow, it's getting late. We've got about an hour until the movie starts, so we should go eat first.” He nodded. “Anything in particular you feel like having?”

 

“Uhmm... not that I can think of. How about we check out the food court and see whats available?”

 

“Sounds like a plan.” She nodded. The two got up from their seat and began walking to the food court. As they got closer, their noses were assaulted with all the delicious food smells, and their stomachs grumbled impatiently.

 

The two looked around. There was a deli, selling sandwiches and salads; a burger place; a smoothie bar; a sushi bar; and a few others.

 

Marinette had made her choice very quickly.

 

“I want sushi!” She grinned. “Anything here tempting you?”

 

“Burgers. My dietitian will kill me if she finds out, though.”

 

“Well, if you don't tell her, then I won't.” She winked.

 

He grinned, and the two headed off. Adrien went and ordered his burger, while Marinette made her choice. She was about to walk over to the cash register, when she saw Adrien already there, money out and about to pay for her.

 

“Adrien, what are you doing? I _can_ pay for myself you know.”

 

“You could, but seeing as you bought the movie tickets already and you're saving me from Chloé, I think buying you dinner is the least I can do.”

 

She wanted to protest more, but he swiped his card through the machine and it was done. He grabbed his tray from where he had set it down and started whistling an innocent tune, walking over to find seats. She rolled her eyes at him, grabbed her food and followed.

 

Adrien had compromised on his burger, getting a salad as a side dish. Marinette got two kinds of sushi rolls, one spicy and one sweet, and a bowl of miso soup as a side.

 

They ate in moderate silence, enjoying their food. Adrien quickly realized there was no graceful way to eat a hamburger. Marinette realized his discomfort, and started intentionally slurping her soup. It made him grin a little, and, feeling a little more at ease, took a big bite. When they finished eating, they threw out their garbage, and made their way to the exit.

 

They arrived at the theater a few minutes before the the coming-soon ads began to play. They found some great seats and got comfy. They skipped on the popcorn, having just eaten, and took turns popping out to the bathroom while the ads played. The movie started, and it did not skimp on the gooey romance at all.

 

During a particularly sappy part of the movie, Marinette glanced over to Adrien. He was very clearly absorbed in the story, and she found it endearing. Then she saw a tear roll down his cheek. _Wow, he's even crying? Awwww!_ She reached out and took his hand, offering a little comfort. He blushed, breaking out of his trance, and rubbed away the tear.

 

He didn't let go of her hand though, even after the movie ended and they left the theater.

 

They walked home, chatting about the movie, and he adamantly refused to let go. He loved it so much, and he was terrified that she would pull away if he let go for even a second.

 

For Marinette, the day had been a dream come true. It would probably go down in her diary as the happiest day of her life so far.

 

He escorted her back to the bakery, insisting on making sure she got home safely.

 

“I should probably call the Gorilla-- I mean, my bodyguard, and tell him where I am. He's probably worried.” He scratched the back of his neck. They stood facing each other, hands still entwined. Reluctantly, he let go, and stepped away to make the phone call.

 

Marinette watched him, and when he was done the call, he came back over and stood in front of her.

 

“I-I had an amazing time today, Mari. Despite probably getting an earful from Nathalie and Chloé later, I'm really glad we got to do this.”

 

“M-me too.” Her cheeks turned red. “I was mad at Alya for bailing on me earlier, but now I'm actually glad she did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had this great day with you.” She smiled shyly at him.

 

They stood awkwardly, neither really sure what to do, blushing. Marinette started biting her bottom lip, and it only drew Adrien's attention to them. Her beautiful, soft, pink lips.

 

“I-I, um, have a question for you,” he stammered, “a-and you're allowed to say no if you don't want to... but umm...” His heart thundered in his chest, and he was sure his cheeks had spontaneously combusted. “C-can I k-kiss you?”

 

Marinette's poor heart skipped several beats. Her eyes flew wide.

 

She wanted it very badly, but she was having trouble making herself respond because _never in her life_ had she expected him to _actually_ ask to kiss her.

 

The longer she took to respond, the more nervous he became that he had stepped over the line. He was trying to pull out his inner-Chat to save this disaster, when she said something so quietly, he wasn't sure he heard right.

 

“S-sorry?” He asked. “I-i'm not sure I heard y--”

 

“YES!” She almost yelled. Yes, she wanted to kiss him, absolutely.

 

His heart leapt in joy. _She said yes!_

 

_...Oh man. How do I do this now?_

 

Hesitantly, with one hand, he reached out and took hers, taking a step towards her to close the gap. The other reached gently and held the side of her face. Slowly, painstakingly so, he leaned down. The closer they got, the more he closed his eyes. His slow approach was killing her. If she was braver, she may have tackled him right then and there.

 

Their eyes closed and their lips met, and time stopped for a moment.

 

Marinette instinctually moved her lips, and he mimicked the motion, and sparks were flying. Her free hand reached up and laid on top of the his hand on her cheek. He let go of her hand to pull her closer, and placed it on the back of her neck.

 

She ran her fingers of one hand through his hair, and the other moved to grab onto the collar of his overshirt. Overwhelmed by the emotions running through her, all she really registered was 'soft'. She wasn't sure if that was in reference to his lips or his hair. Either way, she was ecstatic.

 

Finally, they broke off, both panting a little, and they refused to look away from each other's eyes. Smiles slowly spread across their faces, and they leaned in for another kiss. The second one was shorter, but no less electric. The broke apart in giggles, and they stood together, just breathing together and enjoying the intimate proximity they shared.

 

A familiar hum of an engine, and a beeping horn, and Adrien reluctantly untangled himself, sighing.

 

“My ride's here. We should definitely do this again soon. Can I text you later?”

 

“Yeah, I'd like that.” She smiled. She was sad to see him go, but she watched him climb into the car. As the car drove away, she felt giddy. She made her way upstairs, greeting her parents as she went, who were getting ready for bed.

 

She got into her room and immediately flopped onto her computer chair. She squealed with delight.

 

She had gone on a date with Adrien Agreste! Adrien Agreste asked to kiss her! She said yes and kissed Adrien Agreste! Her mind swirled with the memories of the night. Tikki left her charge alone, deciding to let the girl enjoy the moment.

 

Marinette smiled and sang to herself as she changed into pajamas.

 

One thought filled her mind. If he asked if it could be a date, if he asked if he could kiss her, that was pretty strong evidence for an idea that made her very excited.

 

_Marinette is very likely one of the girls he admitted he is in love with._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, WHERE DID THAT FLUFF COME FROM?!
> 
> You'd think I wrote this in a cotton processing plant or something.
> 
> The S.S. Adrinette is setting sail, folks! Awwww!!!
> 
> Next time: Marinette spills the details of the evening to a super excited Alya. Adrien continues to look for Ladybug.
> 
> I think only a few more chapters and my story will be done. Might have around 10 by the end of this. For now, just enjoy! 
> 
> P.S. If you want to draw anything from my fic, my tumblr is miraculoustrashblogger.tumblr.com and I would love to see what you do! Please link me so I can see! 
> 
> I love hearing from you guys! It really makes my day!


	8. Confessions at Twilight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attention!!!
> 
> This is the last chapter of this fic! I will be adding an epilogue, HOWEVER:
> 
> You are allowed to ignore the existence of the epilogue if you so choose. it will make reference to recent spoilers that were revealed (which I TOTALLY CALLED AND WAS PLANNING ON WRITING IN THE EPILOGUE ANYWAY), and it will also be from Marly's POV entirely.
> 
> ANYWAY.
> 
> Remember early on, when Marinette couldn't sleep because she was dealing with the revelation of Chat/Adrien? I wrote that she knit a scarf to keep her hands busy while she thought it out. SO. Keep that in mind as we move forward.
> 
> ALSO NOTE: This chapter makes reference to some scary stuff. A lockdown happens, which, if you havent been through one, is scary shit. If you have, please be aware, and don't push yourself through if you don't think you can do so comfortably. It is not my intention to scar anyone or bring up bad memories, and your comfort comes first.
> 
> Also, spiders. Because they aren't creepy enough, I had to make a giant one. I'm such an ass.

_**Sunday** _

It was a chilly day outside, the first hints of Autumn making their presence known. Some trees around the city had begun to change colour, and birds were beginning to gather into large groups. The cool air was another symptom-- a cold front had settled over the city, and they were expecting a chill all week.

Marinette stretched and rubbed her eyes, leaning back in her computer chair, away from the pile of papers that were scattered across her desk.

It was early afternoon, and she had been working on her homework for the past hour. Wrapped up warm in an over-sized Chat Noir sweater and her pink bunny slippers, she was dressed for comfort. She was just about to go downstairs and grab a snack, needing to take a few minutes break when her phone started buzzing.

 **Alya** : _Im srry 4 bailing. R we still cool? Plz Mari will u b my darling again? PLZPLZPLZ_

Marinette chuckled. She thought about texting her back, but opted to phone her instead. She hit call, and it picked up on the second ring.

“ _Hello?”_

“Alya, I'm not mad. Well, at least not mad anymore.”

“ _You're not?”_

“Nope. In fact, I'm actually really glad that you bailed on me.” She grinned.

“ _Wait, what?”_

“You heard me. So, get your butt over here, bring some sweets up from the bakery when you get here, and I'll explain. I need to get away from this stupid homework anyways.”

“ _Mari, I'm a little concerned you've lost your mind, but if this is how I begin your biography, then so be it. Be there in a bit.”_

Marinette plowed through 20 more minutes of homework before her friend arrived, delivering a plate of croissants and macaroons. Alya settled on the chaise, and Marinette scooted her desk chair closer.

“So.” Alya had her reporter face on, ready for the latest scoop. Arms crossed and brow raised, she awaited the story.

Marinette considered how she wanted to break it to her. _Do I work up to it, or do I drop the bomb?_ She opted for the latter, purely for the sake of seeing Alya's reaction.

“No, I'm not crazy.” She smiled lightly, “I _was_ a little pissed at first that you bailed after I had bought the tickets, but you were forgiven pretty quickly after that.”

“Uh huh. And why's that?” She raised a brow.

“Because...” She said, drawing out the suspense. “...if you hadn't bailed... ” She grinned wide, “... me and Adrien wouldn't have kissed.”

A few streets over, a flock of pigeons was startled at the sound that came from Alya's mouth, and took flight.

“WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!” Alya screeched. She had jumped up from her seat, eyes round as dinner plates.

“Full on the mouth, too.” Marinette had probably just lost half of her hearing, but she had no regrets at all.

“YOU'RE KIDDING ME.”

“Nope.”

“Oh, you're telling me this story, RIGHT NOW!” Alya sat on the chaise, barely. She was on the very edge, hands on her knees, waiting and listening.

“Well, after you called...” She launched into the story.

 

* * *

 

“...and then he asked if he could kiss me!”

“Ohmigosh Mariiii! That's so exciting! Obviously you said yes?”

“It took me a second. I kinda froze, and I was half tempted to pinch myself.”

Alya laughed. “Oh man, this is fantastic news, girl I am so happy for you! You finally did it! You snagged the boy of your dreams!”

Marinette was blushing and grinning and when Alya got up to hug her, the two broke apart and grabbed hands, jumping and squealing and letting their excitement out.

Alya started pestering Marinette for the nitty gritty details, both thrilled at the developments.

A buzz from Alya's phone interrupted their chatter.

“That's my mom.” She said, looking at the text she had received. “She wants me home for dinner. Guess I'd better go. Ah well. We will continue this conversation later, okay?” Alya winked.

“I'm not sure what else you want me to say, but if you say so!” Marinette smiled.

Alya left, waving goodbye to her friend and to Sabine and Tom as she exited. Marinette finished her homework and went on patrol. It was her solo night tonight, so she wouldn't see Adrien. She sighed a little at that, but knew she would probably just dissolve into a giggling mess anyways.

 

* * *

 

_**Monday** _

It was frigid that morning as Adrien dressed. His house did have an excellent heating system, but it didn't do much against big glass windows chilled by cool weather, and a big airy bedroom.

He opted for his warm white zipper-up hoodie instead of his button up. He got the sweater mostly as an inside joke, as it had cat ears attached to the hood, and had been nervous to wear it. His father didn't know he had it, and he wasn't sure he'd be allowed to wear it out of the house, let alone keep it, if he did. _I just won't put my hood up. Not that they can connect me to Chat Noir anyways, according to Plagg._

He added his favourite blue scarf and a pair of earmuffs in black. He hoped it wasn't much cooler outside than in his room. They hadn't cranked up the heater yet, so it was likely only doing a minimum job anyways.

He checked his appearance in the mirror before he left. He didn't consider himself a vain person, even despite his job as a model, but it would be his first time seeing Marinette since their date, and he wanted to look good.

“What's wrong, loverboy?” Plagg teased. “Afraid Marinette will tease you that _you do,_ in fact, _own more than one over-shirt?_ ” The kwami cackled.

“Haha, laugh it up.” Adrien rolled his eyes. “No. I just... I had such an amazing time with Marinette, and I think I really do love her...I really don't want to screw things up... But what about Ladybug? Should I hold out in hopes that she'll finally see me? Or do I let things with Marinette go where they will? Do I tell Marinette that I'm in love with Ladybug?”

“Kid, do not, and I mean DO NOT tell Marinette you love Ladybug.”

“Why not? She deserves to know!”

“Adrien, that girl is sensitive and impulsive. Years of putting up with Chloé's bad side means she probably has insecurity issues, too. You tell her you love Ladybug, and she will very likely take it the wrong way, and it will not be pretty.”

“Yeah? Since when were you so adept at reading people?”

“Kid, what do you think I do all day when you're at school?”

“Nap? Eat cheese? Send memes to Nathalie while pretending to be me?”

“Well, that's true, but it's not all I do. I get bored, so I watch the people in your class. Who's picking their nose, who's staring at who, who's passing notes. I'm really surprised that Chloé hasn't figured out where the spit balls come from. That pink haired girl is crafty!” Plagg snickered. “Anyway, I've watched Marinette in class, and despite preferring cheese to girls, I _have_ figured out how to read them. Trust me on this one. Best to keep that one to yourself for now, it'll sort itself out.” The kwami crossed his arms and looked stern, but really he was bluffing. _Come on, kid. Do as I say. Trust me. Don't ignore my advice this time. I'm on your side._

“Seriously Plagg, I get that you're old and apparently wise, but I think you're wrong on this one. Marinette deserves to know the truth before she and I get any closer. I don't want to keep any more secrets from her.”

The kwami started massaging his temples. “Kid, I know you think I don't know what I'm talking about, but really, please, just trust me on this. When Ladybug tells you who she is, it will make perfect sense, but you just have to trust me.”

“What the hell does Ladybug's identity have to do with this? That doesn't make any sense!”

“I can't tell you!” The kwami flew up in his face. “Which is why I'm telling you to trust me on this! I know more about this situation than you do!”

The boy and kwami stared each other down, neither willing to bend.

Adrien let out a frustrated sigh. “Alright, fine. I'll trust you on this. For now. I don't like lying to her though. I hope you're right.” Adrien grabbed his bag and went downstairs. He resisted the urge to grumble about it all, knowing Plagg would probably just lecture him again.

Fed, dressed, and books packed up, he climbed into the car, and was taken to school. As he exited the vehicle, a stiff breeze blew past him and stole all his warmth. His teeth started chattering a little, so he threw his hood up and wrapped his scarf a little tighter.

He started walking into the school, hoping the courtyard would at least provide shelter from the wind.

_I wonder where Nino is? Usually he's here a little bit before me... Maybe he's inside already?_

“Here, Kitty kitty!”

He jumped, his heart stuttering out an awkward rhythm. He had flashbacks to the last akuma battle.

“ _Here, Kitty Kitty!” She called, teasing him._

_...Ladybug?_

_Could... she be here?_

He quickly whirled around. Part of him expected to be disappointed-- maybe it was a student calling to an actual cat, not to him-- but he hoped anyways.

He saw Marly walking towards him, waving, and realized she was the one who had called.

As she reached him, she flicked one of the cat ears on his hood. “Nice sweater, Agreste. You look Purrfectly adorable!”

“Uh... thanks?”

“No purr-oblem!” She grinned. “Oh hey, Alya! Good morning!”

Adrien turned to see the reporter girl coming up behind him. She waved to him and Marly, and then turned and waved down the street. He looked over and saw Marinette coming up the way.

She was wearing a white peacoat, with black boots and stockings, also wearing black earmuffs. Her cheeks were red from the cold, giving her a lovely blush. What drew his eye was the scarf around her neck. It looked damn near identical to his own, which if he wasn't wearing it right now, he would have thought she took it somehow.

“Hey guys.” She smiled.

Alya stepped in between him and Marinette, and gave the two a very obvious appraisal.

“So uh... is this a coincidence that you two match, or did you plan this?”

Adrien and Marinette looked down at their respective clothes. They blushed.

“I'd take that as an “Oops, we match” there, Alya. Those red cheeks ain't from the wind.” Marly chuckled.

“Theirs might not be, but mine are. Let's get inside, it's cold out here.” Alya replied. The group nodded at the suggestion, and headed towards the doors.

Adrien walked beside Marinette, debating whether to hold her hand. He decided not to push it, and instead reached for an end of her scarf.

She watched as he held the material between his fingers, and then with the other hand, he did the same to his own.

_They're the same material. That can't be a coincidence._

Marinette scrambled for a conversation topic. She knew why he was comparing the scarves. She had made both, from the same yarn. Hers was narrower and longer than his, and newer, but those wouldn't deter his curiosity.

He spoke before she did.

“This might be a weird question, but where did you get this scarf?”

Could she fib and say she got it at a store? How desperately did she want him to believe his was a gift from his father?

“...I-I made it myself.” She admitted.

His eyes went wide. _How can a homemade scarf resemble the one from my dad so closely? Did they buy the same yarn?_

His finger brushed the seam of the sweater absently, but when it met a ridged section, he looked a little closer. Marinette wasn't the kind to tolerate mistakes in pieces she wore.

He saw it, ever so faintly. Her signature, stitched in a matching blue thread next to the seam.

He had a hunch. He ran his fingers along the seams of his own scarf.

As his fingers found a similar stiff part of a seam, he looked at it.

_Her name is stitched into my scarf._

Marinette had been watching him, her cheeks getting redder, and her hands fidgeting more and more as he discovered these things. So when he found her signature, she knew exactly what he was thinking.

He turned to her, eyes wide.

“You... you made this?”

She slowly nodded.

“I made it for you for your birthday, a-and I realized I forgot to sign the box, so it must have gotten mixed up or something. I was going to tell you when I saw you wearing it... but you seemed so happy that it was from your dad...”

“...You didn't want to take that from me.” He finished. He was a little disappointed with his father, but he somehow found he didn't mind, as his heart was beating rapidly at the knowledge that _Marinette made this for me._

“Yeah.” She stated.

The first bell rang, signaling that classes would begin soon. Marly and Alya had given the two a little alone time, but now it was time to interrupt.

“C'mon Kitty! Class is about to start!” Marly walked by and flicked one of his hood's cat ears as she walked by. He turned several shades redder.

Marinette turned several shades greener.

 _Did she just call Adrien Kitty? No! That's my name for him! No one else is allowed!_ She stewed in her jealousy, biting her tongue. After all, she may be Ladybug, but no one else knew that.

Adrien seemed to be having a bit of a dilemma.

“Uhhh-- I-I need to go to the b-bathroom before class, I'll meet you there!” He stammered out, rushing off. Locking himself in a stall, he reached into his sweater and poked Plagg.

“Plagg, please tell me you heard that! Please tell me I'm not crazy for thinking Marly is Ladybug!”

Plagg looked at his charge, and cleared his throat. He breathed in, and tried to say something, but he just started coughing instead.

Once the kwami could breathe again, he crossed his arms and turned very serious. “I'm afraid I can't confirm or deny the links between Marly and Ladybug.”

“So... she is then? Since you can't say anything?”

“Kid, did I not just say I can't confirm or deny it? It's just as likely to be a false positive.”

“What do you mean?”

Plagg sighed. “HYPOTHETICALLY!” Plagg paused for a moment, like he was waiting to be interrupted. Finding nothing, he continued. “If you were to ask me, say, if Alya was Ladybug--”

“I know Alya isn't Ladybug. They've been in the same room multiple times, and Alya was akumatized looking for Ladybug. It isn't her.”

“Obviously. Just work with me here. In this HYPOTHETICAL scenario, you asked me that, I might tell you No, she isn't. So then you ask me if another girl in your class is, and another. THEORETICALLY, if you went through all the possible girls it could be, you'd eventually find only one that made me cough, and you'd know who she was.” Adrien lit up, like he thought it was a brilliant idea, but Plagg immediately shut him down. “That would circumvent the magic's protection, but in that case, anyone could do it if they had access to a kwami, even Hawkmoth. SO. The magic doesn't allow it. Hence, false positives. I cough anytime I try to confirm or deny identities, so it's useless to you. Just because I coughed for Marly, doesn't mean she's Ladybug. I really can't help you on this one. Ladybug has to tell you herself.”

Adrien sighed. Well, he still had Marly as his #1 suspect. He'd just have to keep trying. Though, if Plagg was to be believed, then it was going to be a long road. Convincing Ladybug was going to take a miracle.

The bell broke his thoughts, ringing harshly.

“Shit! I'm late! Let's go Plagg!” He darted off to class, earning a stern look from the teacher as he entered the room. She didn't say anything though, so he swiftly took his seat. He made eye contact with Marinette before he sat, and the pair blushed. Alya looked on, knowingly. He greeted Nino, doing their usual fist bump.

Class began, and he took notes, sort of. It wasn't really about the class, he just was making notes of everything he knew about Ladybug and Marly, trying to see if he could connect the dots. He knew Plagg said it was impossible, but part of him wondered if he just didn't want him pestering him with questions. He had a hard time believing the magic was infallible. There had to be a loophole somewhere.

His other hand was fiddling with the scarf and the spot where the stitches spelled out her name. He got weird looks from Nino, but he simply didn't care. It was a gift from Marinette, and somehow, that felt even better than thinking it was from his father.

He jotted down notes half heartedly. He really didn't have a lot of proof between Marly and Ladybug, besides looks, personality, and calling him Kitty. It could all be coincidence. He needed something solid.

A scream filled the air. Everyone in the class jumped and looked around the room.

Another scream. Then several at once. It sounded like it was coming from the courtyard.

“Class, prepare for lockdown procedures in a calm and orderly manner. Remember, hide your backpacks, cellphone ringers off, and silence please.” The teacher instructed, a teensy bit of fear seeping into her otherwise calm voice. “We are to stay put until police officers come to escort us out, or Ladybug and Chat Noir do. Go!” She walked over and locked the door, and closed the blinds.

Most schools and offices had picked up policies regarding akuma attacks. If it was far off, but still a threat, they used Fire drill procedures, exiting the building quickly away from the danger. If the attack was too close to the school, they went into lockdown, students and teachers hiding in silence away from windows, and with the doors locked until they were given the all clear.

The students hid under their benches, where they were hidden from the courtyard windows, and from the exterior ones. Their backpacks underneath with them. It was claustrophobic, which never helped the fear of being found by the akuma, but their desks provided little cover.

Alya ,moved up to Ivan's bench, whom they had discovered couldn't fit there at all. Instead, his assigned hiding spot was under the teacher's desk. Marinette and Marly stayed under their seat.

Marly looked panicked.

“Are you okay?” Marinette whispered. Adrien, Alya, and Nino watched as Marinette tried to console her.

“F-first akuma attack. They've never happened near me before! Ohmygosh what if it finds us? Will it kill us? Where's Ladybug already?” Her voice grew steadily louder at the end, she was squeaking and trembling, her breath now coming in pants.

Marinette hated when it was a lockdown procedure. It made it really hard to escape. Alya had pushed her under the desk before she could go anywhere, and Nino had done the same to Adrien. Apparently their friends were starting to clue in that the pair ran off during akuma attacks. She needed to find a way to get them both out of here, but she couldn't risk revealing her classmates' hiding spots. She wouldn't put them in danger that way.

She tried hushing Marly, but the girl was freaking out more and more with each passing minute.

Their door rattled. Everyone froze.

Holding their breath, even Marly quieted, though she looked like she was ready to explode. Marinette held her hand and rubbed her back as they tried to help her fend off her panic attack.

The door rattled again, more violently. There was a whimper from the back of the room.

 _Come on Rose, hold it together. You can do it._ Marinette aimed her thoughts at the girl.

Finally, the door blew off its hinges, the loud bang terrifying everyone. They tried as hard as they could to stifle their whimpers. Marinette saw tears streaming down several faces. Everyone was terrified.

Marinette and Adrien made eye contact. He was Chat Noir. He had to do something. She shook her head at him. The akuma would see him transform. The class would see. His secret would be out, and he would be in so much danger.

 _No_. She mouthed at him. _Don't._ Her hands were busy rubbing circles on Marly's back, but the fire in her eyes was directed entirely at him.

Adrien looked at Marly. She was crying and trembling and freaking out. She had her hand clapped firmly over her mouth, hoping to muffle the whimpers she couldn't control.

_Why is she so scared? Ladybug has faced a hundred akumas, she would never be this terrified..._

The akuma skulked around the room, each clacking footstep made them jump. The legs they saw from the towering creature were spider-like. Probably 8 of them, but most of the students were crying silently and shaking too hard to say for sure.

Marly spotted the legs as they passed between the desks, and her fragile composure snapped. She screamed. Diving from her hiding spot before anyone could react, she booked it towards the broken door. Marinette and Adrien both dove after her on instinct, missing, and revealing their hiding spots.

 _Shit! Now the whole class is in danger! Think!_ Both Marinette and Adrien's thoughts were in sync, trying to come up with a solution.

Adrien caught up to Marly and dragged her down the hallway. He would stuff her in a closet alone somewhere and then go and transform. If he was fast enough, he could still save them.

For the first time, he sincerely hoped he was wrong about Marly being Ladybug. Even if it was an act, she would never purposely endanger others. Ladybug was craftier than that.

Marinette, on the other hand, was left exposed, and the rest of her class in danger. She needed the akuma to leave the students alone. While it was distracted with Adrien and Marly's departure, she turned to Alya.

“When the coast is clear, get everyone out!” She turned to the akuma and took a deep breath in.

“What are you doing?! Mari!” She whisper-shouted.

“Hey ugly! You should sell your costume back to the store you got it from, because it sucks! It isn't even scary!” She taunted. “You're lucky I left my fly-swatter in my locker today! Makes the odds a little better in your favour!”

The akuma glared at her, and its legs clacked against the floor as it began moving towards her. “Cocky little one, aren't you? No matter, the Black Widower will catch you in my web soon enough, and you won't be so cocky then!” Grinning maniacally, it lunged towards her. She jumped out of the way, vaulting over Nino's hiding spot, and dashing towards the door.

“That's right, come get me you pesky bug!” She shouted over her shoulder, checking that they were following.

“Bug?! I'm an arachnid you stupid little girl! This is what happens when you don't listen to the experts!”

“Oh? Is that so? How come you call yourself a widow- _er_ then? The male black widow's get eaten by the females! Some expert!” She continued to taunt as she ran. The Spider Akuma followed her down, and she was glad of her years of experience. Had she not been so fit, she was sure to have been caught. It seemed more legs made for faster akumas.

She reached the top of a set of stairs, and wanted to run down them, get the akuma out of the building, but knowing her luck, she was bound to trip, and then it would be all over. He patted her hip, desperately missing her yo-yo.

“Princess! How good of you to help out! You don't happen to have any bug spray, would you?” Chat Noir dropped down next to her, just as she had turned to stare down the akuma.

“I AM NOT A BUG!” The spider lashed out. Chat scooped up the girl, and leapt down the stairs, using his baton to give him the distance from the akuma. A splatter sound informed them the akuma had begun shooting web goop at them, and they ran and dodged each one as Chat searched for a place to safely hide Marinette.

He finally found an empty, unlocked room, and pushed her inside, closing the door and leading the akuma away. Marinette quickly searched the room, confirming there was no one hidden in it.

“Tikki! Spots on!”

* * *

 

 

Ladybug stood on the top of the Eiffel tower. After the akuma battle, she and Chat's miraculouses had started to beep, so she told him to go recharge and meet her here. It was still daylight out, not yet dinner time, so Notre Dame was still open. She didn't want to risk tourists coming to bother them, so she went for somewhere a little more private. 10 minutes had passed, but it felt like hours to her.

She knew perfectly well it felt like that because of what she had planned.

 _Adrien was looking at me really funny all through the battle. He almost got hit several times because he was staring at me. What's with that boy? Did I have something on my face?_ She let out a frustrated sigh, opening up her compact to try and call. She did want to know what was up with him, but she was going to go through with her promise first. She heard his baton ringing behind her, from her call, and turned to see him landing on the platform.

“My Lady requested an audience?” He bowed and quirked an eyebrow at her.

“Y-yeah.” She hesitated, biting her lip. _I promised myself I would tell him! I promised!_

Chat watched the creeping blush and the range of emotions that crossed her face. He knew Ladybug pretty well. He rarely saw her scared anymore. Awkward, embarrassed, sure. But scared was unusual.

“Is everything okay, Bugaboo?”

“Yes!” She answered too quickly. “Everything's fine! Great!”

“Uh huh. And I'm an Egyptian hairless cat.” He crossed his arms. “Really, Ladybug, you _can_ talk to me about stuff. I know you want to keep your personal life personal, but you can leave out details and names.”

For reasons that only perplexed Chat further, her whole face turned ghost white, and then back to red. He walked up to her, and put his hand on her shoulder. She looked away.

“Ladybug, I hate seeing you upset. What's wrong? Please tell me.”

She shyly looked up to him. “I'm just... I'm scared to tell you.”

“Scared to tell me what?”

She hesitated.

Chat was frustrated. His closest friend wouldn't tell him what was bothering her. He didn't even have a ballpark of a clue what she was struggling with, so he couldn't even offer her advice. Added to his frustration that no, this was probably not Marly he was speaking to right now, he was left at square one with who the girl behind the mask was. He wanted to know her, really know her, and she kept pulling away, dangling right out of his reach.

He was tired of being kept at arms length.

“You know what, it's fine. If you don't want to talk, you don't have to. I wish I could be the kind of friend you told stuff to, but if you don't trust me by now, then there's not much I can do.” He knew he was being petty, and that Ladybug deserved better, but he couldn't handle it right now. “I'll see you for patrol tomorrow.”

He walked to the edge of the platform. He was about to jump off and go find a place to de-transform. _Someone will be checking my room for me soon anyways, it's almost dinner time._

Ladybug saw his foot hover over the edge. She promised herself! She can't let him leave!

“Adrien! Wait!”

_Adrien?_

When Chat Noir froze up, Ladybug's hands slapped over her mouth very audibly.

The name echoed between them, bouncing in their thoughts, to their ears, on their tongues.

He whirled around.

“What did you just call me?” he scoured her face, looking for an explanation. Any one.

“I-I--” She stammered. _Shit! Shit! Shit!_

“H-How?! Only one person should know that!” His mind spun, trying to figure out what it meant, but he suddenly found it very hard to focus. He tried, he fought, but every time he tried to put the pieces together, it was like someone knocked the pieces from his hands. He tried to grasp at what it meant, but slowly his head began to ache, increasing the longer he tried to fight.

Marinette watched his face contort in frustration and confusion, he gasped and screwed his eyes shut.

“I know it means something! Why-- why can't I think it?!”

He fell to his knees as his head swam. He clutched at his head, pulling on his hair.

 _The magic!_ Marinette thought. _It's preventing him from figuring it out!_

He groaned in pain and swayed, teetering on his knees. He swayed dangerously close to the edge.

“Adrien!” She cried, bending down beside him. Using his real name only seemed to make it worse, judging by the cry he let out.

The voice of Tikki floated into Ladybug's mind. _Marinette,_ she said, _You have to tell him! He's too close to the truth, and the magic won't relent unless you tell him! He needs your help!_

Similarly, Plagg spoke to Chat Noir. _Adrien, listen to me! DROP IT NOW! Don't think about it! You keep fighting it and you will have an aneurysm! Literally! You need to focus on something else! Anything else!_

He tried. He grasped for any other thought. He tried for his favourite movies, but he ended up thinking of the movie he and Marinette saw recently. He tried to think of school work, but came back to Marinette again. He thought about Nino. Nino. He was safe. His birthday was coming up. What should he get for his best friend? Best friend... birthday party... Adrien's last birthday. The scarf.

He cried out loudly. His head felt like it would split in two at any moment.

Marinette was terrified. _This is all my fault. I need to fix this!_

She sucked in as much air as she could, and straightened up. She was scared, but her fear over him knowing was dwarfed by her fear of him hurting.

“Ad-- Chat Noir, I'm not going to hide who I am anymore. You should know the truth. I'm going to show you who I really am under this mask.”

His groans of pain receded slightly.

She reached over and put her hand on his cheek, and gently pulled his face to look at her.

He squinted. The setting sun was positioned directly behind her head, wreathing her in a halo of yellow and orange and pink light.

_Please, Adrien. I am so sorry. Please forgive me._

“ _Spots off.”_

The pink tones in her halo increased for a moment, as her suit vanished, leaving behind greys and pinks and whites. He took in her now mask-less blue eyes, and as his headache vanished, pieces of the puzzle began fitting together.

_Marinette is the only one who knows my real name._

Click.

_Plagg said bad things happen to people who try to spill our secret identities._

Click.

_No major harm has come to Marinette recently. Which means she hasn't told anyone._

Click.

_I haven't told anyone else, and there's no way anyone else should know._

**Click.**

_Marinette is Ladybug._

He stared into those blue eyes, willing himself to believe it. It made perfect sense. It could not have been any other person because _Marinette is Ladybug and Ladybug is Marinette and I love her, both sides of her. I wasn't in love with two girls, I fell in love with the same girl, twice._

Chat Noir was reciting poetry in his mind, an ode to the Goddess before him, lit by the sun and twice as bright.

Adrien, on the other hand, was starting to clue in to other things.

Like how she was Ladybug all along, and never said a word.

She pretended she didn't know. She lied to him. She let him believe Ladybug and Marinette were different.

_Why?_

Slowly he stood up. His head was pain-free now, but he felt weak, and he didn't want to risk moving too fast.

She hovered around him, not sure if she should help him up, but afraid if she didn't, he might topple.

Both of them, standing, face to face. She watched him cautiously, but he stared at his feet.

“Why?” He asked. “Why didn't you tell me sooner?”

His voice was dead, emotionless.

 _He's mad._ She thought. _And he has every right to be._ “I was afraid.”

“Of?”

She hesitated. “The people I love getting hurt.”

He finally made eye contact.

“You were afraid me knowing would make me a liability?” He accused.

She cringed. Why did he have to phrase it like that?

“I've been a liability for a while now, Adrien. For the safety of the people _you_ love.”

He scrutinized her. She quailed under his hard gaze.

“No.” He knew Ladybug. She was hiding something. “That's not the reason you were afraid. At least, not all of it. What were you really afraid of? What held you back for so long?” His voice was steel, cold and unyielding. A tiny crack in his voice when he spoke told her he was hurting, just not in his head anymore.

She mumbled something so quiet even his sharp ears missed it.

He grabbed her shoulder, and she gasped.

“Repeat that.”

“Ow! Watch the claws!”

“Say it again.” He didn't loosen his grip.

“I said I didn't want to disappoint you!”

The wind whistled past their spot, far away were the sounds of cars. A pigeon cooed a few feet down from them.

“I said it, okay? I was scared you would be upset that amazing, badass Ladybug was clumsy, awkward, Marinette. Now will you let go? Your claws are hurting me!”

He immediately let go of her arm. His eyes looked right through her.

“Why... why would you think I'd be disappointed?” _Does she really think me so shallow?_

“You put me on a pedestal as Ladybug!” She crossed her arms and turned away from him. “You barely noticed me as Marinette. What else was I supposed to think?”

Silence once again filled the space between them.

 _Plagg was right._ He ran his hand through his hair, and put the other on his hip.

He walked up to Marinette and took her hand in both of his.

Nervously, he began to speak.

“My first day at school, I met a spitfire of a girl who could hold a serious grudge. She thought I put gum on her seat, and snubbed me for the rest of the day. I apologized as best as I knew how, and things got better. At least she wasn't pointedly ignoring me anymore. I thought for the longest time she just didn't like me in general, because every time she spoke to me, it was awkward, she had a hard time getting her words out, and then she would run away.”

Marinette cringed at the memories, and it dawned on her. _He thought I was avoiding him._

“Then, I was forced to tell her I was a superhero. Despite thinking she didn't like me, I never doubted she would keep my secret. She was too kind to reject that responsibility. So I got to know her a little more. I learned she was clever, and funny. That she had a heart full of love. I didn't have to hide from her. She became a very good friend of mine.” He blushed, and looked away from her, rubbing the back of his neck. He sighed, and looked at her again. “And then I realized I was in love with her.”

Marinette just stared. She had no words, no thoughts.

“Marinette, I'm not disappointed that you're Ladybug. I wouldn't want you to be anybody else. Mind you, you aren't off the hook. I _am_ pissed that you kept this from me, but I'll get over it. Probably.” He gave her a weak smile. She sighed.

“For the record...” She said. “I _am_ sorry. I wanted to tell you anyway. That's what I was trying to tell you before you almost walked away. I screwed up, and you got hurt, in more ways than one.”

They both sighed. Marinette looked down and noticed that somewhere along the way, both of her hands had ended up clasped in his. Neither of them minded at all. They stood there for a few moments more, neither really feeling like moving just yet.

When they eventually did let go, Adrien offered her a lift home, seeing as Tikki had slipped off silently to sleep in her pocket. She decided to let her kwami be, and promised to introduce the two later.

He landed on her balcony, her riding piggy-back style, as the sun finally set below the horizon.

“I should probably go...” Chat said. “This was a lot to take in and sort through. I think I just need a little space to figure it all out, but... maybe we could go for ice cream next week?” He said hesitantly.

“I.. I'd like that.” She replied.

He gave a small smile, and turned to leave.

“Wait!” She said. He stopped and looked at her. “...Just... so you know... I uh... All those times at school? When I was acting weird? I didn't run away because I didn't like you. Kind of the opposite actually.”

He was surprised, to say the least.

She continued. “I fell in love with Adrien when he lent me his umbrella on the day we met. As for Chat... I can't say when I fell in love with him, I just...did.” She mentally noted that her cheeks spent a lot more time blushing than not lately. “I just... thought you should know.”

He drank in the information, and his heart swelled in joy. He wasn't sure he was ready for whatever they were becoming, right at this moment, but it didn't do much to damper his mood, regardless.

He walked over to where she stood, and hesitantly, he hugged her.

She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She never wanted it to end.

They stood for a moment, in the twilight, street lights slowly flickering on, wrapped in each other's arms.

He sighed. He pulled out of the hug reluctantly, kissed her on the forehead gently, and breathed in her scent of cinnamon and bread. Before he could be tempted, he gave her a little smile, and hopped from her balcony railing over to the next roof.

She watched him hop from roof to roof until he was out of sight.

Tikki had snuck out of her pocket and hidden behind a plant, watching her and Plagg's chosens. She smiled.

 _We did good._ The kwami thought. _They really are made for each other._

She thought of her own other half. She missed him dearly. It had been far too long since she got to see him, between being inactive and waiting for these two to reveal themselves. Today though, she felt hopeful.

_I'll see you soon, Plagg._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay happy endings!
> 
> Adriens gonna go home and work through having been lied to, but in the end he's a pretty forgiving person, so he will accept Marinette's apology sooner rather than later.
> 
> When Tikki sees Plagg, she tackles him out of the air.
> 
> Alya and Nino go on a date to a Superhero Convention dressed as the iconic duo, and she really digs the sight of him in black leather. Yay DJWIFI!
> 
> Chloé takes a while to become nice, but it does happen. As she gets nicer, so does everyone else towards her. Yay Chloé redemption!
> 
> Basically, I tried to write angst and found out that I'm just a giant lover of fluff and my heart is endless fields of cotton plants, growing the stuff so I can give it to you guys. Sorry! Hope you liked it anyways!
> 
> And that marks the end of my first fanfic! Maybe if I can get myself motivated I can finish some of the art I have been planning for this, but we will see.
> 
> The epilogue will be coming soon if youre interested, but again, it will reference season 2 spoilers (which again, I TOTALLY CALLED AND WAS PLANNING TO WRITE ANYWAYS) and will be from Marly's POV.
> 
> I love you all, and thank you for all the support and love! <3
> 
> Redfox out!


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over! Ahhhh!! OMG
> 
> If you didnt read the author notes on the last chapter PLEASE READ THIS NOW
> 
> THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS RECENT MLB SPOILERS THAT JEREMY ZAGG REVEALED. IF YOU WISH TO REMAIN IGNORANT OF SAID SPOILERS, DONT READ THIS! I'M WARNING YOU!
> 
> Those of you who joined me in spoiler'd hell, I will just say, one more time, I FUCKING CALLED IT!
> 
> This chapter doesn't really influence much in the other chapters, it's just kind of a stand alone tack-on I wanted to add, to give a little more mystery and intrigue.
> 
> Enjoy folks!
> 
> (Also note, this chapter is pretty short in comparison to the rest.)

A dark haired woman walked through a mostly empty apartment. A humming sound ran through the space, the sound of an empty but running fridge. The woman looked at the couch and table that were there, items that had come with the space. Not like she used them much anyways. The walls were bare, and no personal touches to the room existed, except one.

An ornate, silvery framed oval mirror, hung on the wall, out of sight of the doors and windows.

Soon, it would be removed from that spot. She had a box ready for it. She stared at it, contemplating.

_I suppose I'll double check, one last time. I'd hate to leave unfinished business._ The woman thought to herself.

She walked over to the mirror, barefoot. She had dressed the part of a daughter of a designer for a few weeks, but really she found herself tiring of the role quickly.

_You'd think designers would make shoes that were actually comfortable..._

She gazed in the mirror, admiring the blue eyes and round cheeks she had chosen for this job. Soon, they too would be gone, traded around as needed to complete her work.

She gently touched the frame of the mirror. She had had it for a long time, it was one of the few constants in her life. Almost everything and everyone was left behind, but she kept the mirror. Some traveling trader had sold it to her for cheap-- at least, to her it was a deal. The poor sap hadn't known it's true value, but he had still been set for life with the price she paid. It wasn't like her dead husband was going to use his fortune anyways, so she invested with most of it, and spent as she needed to. She had had several such husbands over the years. They never lived long, and usually some poor, pretty girl was relieved that a man twice their age was no longer hounding them. You couldn't get by in this day and age without money, sadly.

Marly lifted her hand, and touched a single finger to the oval surface. The glass rippled like water at her touch, and her reflection disappeared, the glass turning grey. She smiled, for it wasn't the fake-silver frame that made this mirror special.

“Show me Ladybug.”

The mirror shifted to Marinette, out of costume, laughing. Beside her sat Adrien, the two at a table, with ice cream cones in hand.

She could see from the angle of her view, Tikki had poked her head out from the purse and stared straight at her. She caught a gleam of green eyes, and she spotted Plagg, doing the same. The two glared, their eyes seeming to bore into her, even though she wasn't physically present.

_Plagg and Tikki have always been able to tell when I was watching. I see they still don't approve of me, meddling in their affairs._

Marinette suddenly noticed that Tikki had opened the purse, and shooed her back into it.

_At least they left their chosens in the dark this time. It's easier when miraculous wielders are ignorant of the other kinds of magic in the world..._

“Show me her future.”

A series of images flashed before her eyes. A fox tail, a yellow and black striped costume, a turtle shell, a peacock. Some faces she had come to know, like Alya and Chloé, and Nino. One that echoed to over a century ago, a short Chinese man with a preference for bright reds and floral patterns. Heartaches and danger. Hawkmoth. In the mirror, she watched, as the battle unfolded. The details in between always shifted, but this confrontation was inevitable. Things would be messy.

In previous visits, they would lose. The information would be too much for them. They would be shocked at each other's identities, and would be beaten once Hawkmoth revealed himself. The truth about Adrien's mother destroys him in almost every version, but in a few, Marinette was able to reach out and help. Once Adrien told the truth to Marinette, it became a toss-up. The mirror was constantly shifting back and forth. She knew the only way to guarantee they won was to make sure Ladybug told Adrien who she was. So she began plucking strings.

First, make Marinette jealous. The girl was prone to rash decisions when provoked. She was prone to jealousy too, so if she could draw Adrien's eye, Marinette would likely try to interfere, and open up more to the boy.

Remove Chloé as a threat. Well, that and help her see the light. She was destined for great things, if she could get a reality check.

Alya was too. Marly wasn't sure what to think of Alya. Sure, she was bright, and resourceful, but her bonds with Marinette almost caused her trouble. When Chloé hosted that party, she saw that Marinette would miss Adrien's call, because she and Alya would be in the theater. So she stepped in, taking up Alya's time and allowing Marinette and Adrien to have a date instead. Alya was nosy though, and while they hung out had asked questions she hadn't actually been prepared to answer. Not many people got the drop on her anymore.

The mirror didn't waver on the outcome of the battle this time. The two would win. Sometimes by a hair, but they would get through it together. And... _oh._

_Of course Marinette would design her own wedding dress and his matching tux. And... did Adrien and Tom make that cake?_

She admired the last few details of their future. Friends and family, and even little feet pattering around. She smiled. She always enjoyed when happy endings were inevitable.

Satisfied that she had done her job, and that the two heroes were on the correct path, she reached out to pull the mirror from the wall. It flitted through faces of people in Marinette's future, never settling for long. She ended the magic. One last face flashed through the glass before it faded back to her reflection.

She tucked it carefully into the awaiting box, wrapping it carefully. She could survive and do her job without the mirror, she just deeply preferred this one. It wasn't the glass that was magic, after all. It was _her_ powers-- the glass was just a rare material, one that worked much better with her powers than average glass. It was like comparing a flat screen TV to one of those old rabbit-eared black and whites.

She considered the face that had stared back from the mirror before she released it.

Nino. The boy was perceptive, even if he didn't realize it yet. He had actually guessed at who she was, much closer than anyone had ever gotten without insider knowledge. She had to applaud the boy for that much. She had managed (barely) to keep a straight face, but his comment had shaken her nonetheless.

“ _So... your doppelgänger goes to our school now then? That's pretty freaky.” Nino sat back in his seat and stared off into the distance. “Some legends say that if you meet your doppelgänger, you're going to die.”_

He was wrong about the dying part, at least for Marinette. She had made sure of that. But 'doppelgänger' was one of many names she had been called over the centuries.

Banshee was another. Witch, Shapeshifter, Siren, and the one she chose to go by for the longest, Will-o-the-wisp.

It was her job to lead people to their fates, to make sure that destiny still ran it's proper course. Some people stood in the way, and had to be removed as obstacles. It usually was done to lead another to their true path, avenging them, or it gave them the push they needed to leave their homes and begin their journeys. It wasn't a particularly nice part of her job, but she had to do it. Many not-so-nice names had been applied to her for it.

She took her sole possession, wrapped securely in it's box, and walked out the door. She had other places to be, and another face to take on. People to redirect when they got lost.

And a new name. Marieta Linnea Thomas had existed at one point in time, but had died as a baby. No doubt, after she disappeared, Alya would go digging and find that out. The news would be brought to the class that she was gone. Some would mourn, but two heroes, and three soon-to-be's, would be left forever wondering about the girl who may have been a ghost, who came in and changed their lives.

It wasn't the first name she had taken on, nor the last, but it wasn't like she had a real name. She was born to weave destinies from the shadows. There were others like her, but they rarely saw each other, let alone had reasons to use names. So she chose her own. Usually she went with whatever the locals believed she was, but it changed with times, so she did too.

Her favourite name was one that had been coined in the last century or so. She had called herself that since she discovered the name. It wasn't one that anyone had called her, but she loved it nonetheless. If she ever had occasion to give someone a name to call her-- the real her, not a mask she wore-- it would be that one. Chances were pretty slim that that would happen, as she never stayed put too long, but she hoped.

She remembered reading in a scientific paper about it, and immediately felt a deep connection to the word. 'An ingredient that instigates a reaction while remaining unchanged by it', the piece had read.

Catalyst.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I left it a little vague, but seriously, I was planning this chapter since the beginning. I always wanted Marly to be magic. If magic exists in the form of miraculous, then I'm playing with the idea that other kinds can exist too.
> 
> I also just kind of wanted to play with how magic functions in this universe. Items are not inherently magical, they are just the conduits through which magical beings can help or influence humans.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts!
> 
> Also, keep your eyes peeled! With Christmas around the corner, I will probably be writing a fluffy Christmas fic!
> 
> Also, potentially writing one based on my own love-life! (Seriously, it reads like a rom-com. No jokes)
> 
> I am pretty active in the fandom on my tumblr account @miraculoustrashblogger (http://miraculoustrashblogger.tumblr.com). Hit me up! Ask box is open there! Seriously, I live for your validation LOL
> 
> Stay cool nerds! Love you and thank you for all your support!
> 
> Redfox, out!


End file.
